Among Humans and Monsters
by AwkwardBlackCat
Summary: Eivie has always been a strange girl. From a young age, Poes seem especially interested in her and treat her as if she were a fellow monster. After moving to Castle Town, she meets a few new friends, both monster and human in nature. Can she decide what side she belongs with? Humans or Monsters? Good or Evil? Such a decision was never meant to be easy to make. Slight VaatixOCxLink.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

_It is strange how something as simple as eye color can ruin a life. How can insignificant features suddenly determine fate? Why are my golden eyes deemed the mark of a monster if I have done nothing wrong? When they chose to label me such, they, in their own ignorance, created what they feared. I become the monster they said I was. _

The light was filtering through the giant trees forming random patterns on the ground. There were dried leaves littering the ground, crunching under my feet as I walked. The empty basket I carried jostled back and forth as I moved. Much of my focus was on the trunks of trees as I looked for mushrooms and insects for potions. In truth I was trying to waste time so that I did not need to stay in the village any longer than necessary.

I hated the village. Well, mainly the villagers; the village was quite nice if they were removed. A modest village on the edge of the woods deserved no hate, the inhabitants did. Being raised by a witch was not a very good way to make friends. Even if Syrup was kind and shared her skills with them. The villagers remained suspicious of her and, by proximity, me. I was the strange girl living with the witch after all.

Perhaps it was not Syrup they disliked; maybe it was solely me: the monstrous child with yellow eyes. No one else seemed to share my particular eye color. No one human that is. There was only one creature that had the same hue: Poes. I was first told this by an old man that lived in the village. He had whispered it to another person, but louder than he had intended. The idea must have caught on because that quickly became my name when they spoke of me. I was the Poe Girl to them, not that I cared much. A name is a name, but when the other children decided it was grounds to tease me, I quickly began to loathe them all.

They are why I was now walking through the woods at a dreadfully slow pace, dragging my feet the entire way. I did not wish to deal with them and I wish that Syrup would understand that. She told me it was better to ignore them but not let them bully me. Now how does one ignore but tell off someone? I never understood her logic and decided that she just did not want to go so she sent me.

The trees began to thin and I knew that I was regrettably almost to my destination. I sighed when I could see houses. Now that I had made it to the village, I quickened my pace so I could be gone as soon as I could. Syrup only wished for me to deliver a potion to someone -I had not bothered to remember their name and memorized only their location. It was a tan house with red shutters located on the west side of town, which was close considering I had entered from the south.

As I walked, I did my best to ignore whoever was nearby. It worked and I was left alone as I delivered the bottle of potion. The woman took the potion and gave a mumbled "thank you" as she dropped a few blue rupees in my hand. I counted it just to make sure she gave the correct amount; people always tried to sort me, even if they knew the money went to Syrup. Just when I reached the edge of town, on the way back home, did someone decide it was time to bother me.

A small rock hit me in the back of my head, childish giggling following soon after. I turned slowly to the noise, my eyes narrowed. It was two boys and a girl, both about the same age as me. One boy was short and on the heavy side while the other was somewhat tall and lanky. The girl wore her hair in pigtails and was the same height as me. Their laughing ceased when my eyes meet with theirs. For a moment we glared at each other, waiting for the other to look away in defeat.

"Go away, Poe Girl," one boy said, breaking the tense silence.

"No one likes you here," the girl quickly added. The boys nodded in agreement before all three scanned the ground for more rocks to toss.

Despite knowing better, I stood my ground and waited defiantly. They would not get their way, today, I decided. The plump boy was the first to locate and lob another rock in my direction. It hit me on the arm with little force before falling next to my foot. I fought back a smile; they had no idea that I had learned a new trick since the last time.

It was ironic, really. Their calling me Poe-girl gave me the idea. The forest was filled with the ghostly creatures at night, and I happen to enjoy sneaking out then. One such night I had met a darling friend and her sisters. Only recently, though, had they proclaimed they would help me. I deemed this moment worthy of calling one to aid me.

"Beth?" I looked to my side, sensing where the blue Poe was hidden. During the day Poes' stayed hidden, but, by no means, did not mean they were not there.

A phantom giggle was her response as she materialized next to me, the blue flame of her torch swaying in the slight breeze. She began to float near the stunned children, who were too scared to move at the moment. The tall boy was the first to scream and run away. He tripped and fell on his face before he got far, causing Beth and I into a fit of giggles. Once he stumbled to his feet, the other two decided it was time to flee as well, but the girl yelled over her shoulder.

"Monster!"

That word again. I had heard it so many times before, perhaps it was the truth after all. Monster. That is what I am to them, because being different is not tolerated among them. Conformity was their way and in no way did I conform to them.

I turned to leave, walking the same path I had followed earlier. The sun was still high in the sky, not even midday yet. Syrup would not stand for it if I wasted more time than I already had. It was time for me to return to the only safe haven I had and to complete my chores in order to useful enough to keep. 

**Author's Note- First, thank you so So SO much for reading. As this is my first story, reviews would be grand. I need some feedback to know how I am doing. **

**-AwkwardBlackCat**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"You wish to open a shop in Castle Town?" I swallowed nervously, hoping I had misheard the great witch's words.

"Yes. There are just not enough customers around here." Syrup then pointed to the full shelves. "The shelves are about to fall from the walls, there are so many potions. All that hard work will go to waste if they sit and gather dust."

"But..." I stopped, unable to voice my fears. Castle Town was crowded with people. If they were anything like the villagers, then my life would be even more miserable then it already was.

"Eivie, not everyone is the same," the witch said knowingly. "The only reason the villagers avoid you is because you had a Poe scare those children. When you meet new people, you will have a chance to make some friends. There are plenty of children your age in Castle Town. I'm sure you'll find someone to be friends with."

"I do not like children. And I have friends here."

Syrup shook her head at this and scoffed. "You're a child yourself, you know. And Poes are no substitute for a human friend." She paused, waiting for some response from me, but, upon receiving none, she decided to continue speaking. "I already have a shop bought and we will be moving to Castle Town in three days. We have a lot of packing to do, young lady."

"Understood, but I still do not want to go."

"Eivie, give it a chance. I'm sure you'll like it when we get there."

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The walls that surrounded the city were like nothing I had ever seen before. The gray stones may have weathered with age, but remained strong and imposing, barring monsters to the great fields. Only now, as Syrup and I walked alongside the cart of our belongings, would the walls fail to keep the city monster free. I would soon be calling the town my home, inviting my ghostly friends in with me.

As we entered through the gate, the next thing that drew my attention was the famous castle. At the front, a fountain sprayed water into the air, creating a rainbow over the gate leading into the castle grounds. Behind the gate, a courtyard with brilliant flowers and vibrant grass grew. The castle itself rose high into the sky; the trees in the forest offered little comparison to the grandeur of the rising towers of the castle.

"Do you like the castle?" Syrup chuckled and shook her head at me. It was only then did I notice I had stopped walking. "Come on, we can tour the town after we get settled."

"Yes." I nodded, following Syrup down the streets, past the crowds of people. "Where is this shop?" I had not bothered asking earlier because of my opposition to moving, but my curiosity had finally found me.

Syrup seemed to ignore my question and kept walking at a brisk pace. For an old witch she enjoyed walking quickly and purposely. Admiring the scenery seemed a foreign concept to her. I could not help being distracted by all of the people, buildings, and whatever else we happened upon. I was dawdling a ways behind her when she suddenly stopped in front of a building. Knowing this must be my new home, I ran to stand beside her.

"This is it!" She quickly opened the door to the small wood building. "With a little work this place will be perfect. Come along, Eivie."

I stared at the entrance for a moment, unimpressed. The outside was in poor condition; the window shutters were crooked, the door was partly off of its hinge, and the remnants of paint was peeling away from the wood. When I made my way inside, I was met with an equally dingy interior. There was little lighting, which was actually pleasant to me, but the light filtering through the filmy windows revealed how much dust was floating in the air.

"It is filthy," I commented as I slide my finger along a table, leaving a defined trail in a thick layer of dust. "I do not like it."

"Oh, it just needs a little attention, is all. But, before we clean up, we should move our stuff in. Go help that nice man bring boxes in, would you?"

I nodded and went back to the cart. A man had helped us earlier by lending us his cart and pulling it through town. Syrup had been talking with the man for a while before, but I had ignored the conversation. He would be gone soon enough; why bother with names and pleasantries.

"Are you ready to move stuff in?" He asked cheerfully, a broad smile on his rounded face. He had a box in his hands already.

"Yes." I quickly took a small box and walked back into the house. The sooner the boxes were inside and unpacked, the quicker I could go look around the town. If I was forced to live here, I might as well learn what the place has to offer.

The crates, boxes, and bags of our belongings were soon piled on the floor of the storefront. Much of the items were potions, bottles, kettles, and ingredients for the business; we had few personal items. I had one small box that held everything I owned. When Syrup gave me permission to go upstairs to one of the tiny rooms, I happily went.

The room was not as disappointing as I thought it would be. There was a window that sat above the ledge of a nearby building; it would be simple for me to jump down and climb back up when I inevitably sneaked out at night. The window was the only aspect I appreciated fully, though. The bed was likely covered in dust that would cause me to sneeze every time I tried to lie down. A small table was pushed up against the wall opposite of the bed, leaving little room to walk. It would be livable, I settled.

I sat my things down on the desk, lining up my belongings. I took a tattered blanket and threw it over my shoulder on the bed. My night gown received the same treatment. The brush and mirror Syrup had gifted my remained on the table. Next I looked around the room for a place to hang my prized lantern that I had been given by Meg, the purple Poe sister. She and her sisters had given it as a sign of their allegiance to me.

I never understood why they gave me it or why they allied with me, a child. Somehow they were convinced that I would be powerful one day. I never asked what they meant, simply wanting to believe that perhaps I could obtain power and be acknowledged as more than an orphan child raised by a witch. Whatever they had sensed about me must have inspired our continued partnership. Monsters had no need to be allied to the weak; the weak were hunted and inevitably destroyed. The Poe Sisters actions made little sense to me, but why question it? If they intended to kill me at some point, then so be it.

With a sigh, I sat the lantern back on the table next to the mirror. I could find no proper place to hang it from at the moment. Later I would have to find a nail to create a place for it. Leaving it on the table unlit for the rest of time seemed wrong.

With nothing else to do in the room, I wandered back downstairs. I could hear Syrup and the cheerful man chatting. He was rambling on about how convenient it would be to have a potion brewer in town again. Syrup had a smile on her wrinkled face and acted to be quite flattered with the man's enthusiasm. Their conversation bored me after a few seconds, sending me out the front door into the streets. Syrup noticed and shouted "Don't get lost or into trouble." I nodded even though she could no longer see me.

There were a few people across the street from the shop, gawking at the sign and whispering to each other. When they saw me take a few steps away from the door and past the now empty cart, they beckoned me over to them. With a sigh I went to them and stopped a few paces away, standing straight with my hands behind my back.

"Such a proper little lady," an older woman in a brown and green dress commented, smiling at me.

"Is that the new potion shop?" the younger lady asked, pointing across the street. She had a face similar to the other lady; most likely they were mother and daughter.

"Yes." I looked over my shoulder, back at the storefront. I could see Syrup behind the counter beginning to place down bottles of various potions and ingredients. Pointing to her, I said, "That is Syrup. She owns the shop and brews all of the potions."

The older woman nodded. "And what is your name, dear? Are you Syrup's granddaughter?"

"My name is Eivie. Syrup only looks after me." I quickly turned away and took a few steps forward. "I have something I need to go do; if you have further questions concerning the shop, speak to Syrup tomorrow."

I quickly walked around the side of the shop and to where my room's window was. The overhang of the neighboring building was double my height and there was nothing nearby to help boost myself up enough to reach it. While climbing out of my window and jumping to ground was well with in my ability, climbing back up would be impossible, ruining my plans for late night outings until resolved. In other words, finding a solution took priority over anything else.

"Amy, do you see some way to get up?"

The green hued Poe became visible and floated above me to the edge of the building and back down. She swayed back and forth, her eyes showing disappointment. With her torch, she pointed back to the window and then at me.

"No," I sighed. "I cannot float up there like you do. I need something to stand on or climb up, Amy."

She flew into my face, her eyes narrowed. She had not appreciated my sarcastic tone.

"You could try carrying me up. Would that be better?"

Amy moved away from my face, turned her back on me, and crossed her arms. After a moment of silence, she hovered back to my side, fading away until she was no longer visible.

"We can go look for something together," I said to Amy, knowing she was still near me. One of the sister's always seemed to be at my side when I lived in the forest. When I told them about moving, Meg had told me they would stay in the woods. Amy had been allowed to accompany me to Castle Town, but was to return when night fell.

Meg and her sisters lived in a temple of some sorts. The ghostly sisters never told me much about the place they lived other than it was their duty to watch over it. Meg made it clear that whatever it was that they were to protect in that old ruin was important. She had threatened to attack me if I placed one foot in the entrance, in fact. And now that I moved, I would no longer have the chance to find that temple and investigate what secrets the Poes were protecting.

With my new mission in mind, I walked back to the front of the building and continued my way down the street, backtracking along the path Syrup and I had taken earlier. The closer I got to the castle, more people crowded the streets, visiting various shops in the center of town. I considered looking what the shops and stalls had to offer, but remembered I had no money to spend. I never had use for it before, so carrying any of my limited supply never occurred to me. Also, considering that I needed a ladder or something of the like, I did not have enough rupees to purchase one any way. I would have to be creative to solve my problem.

"Amy, do you see anything I could use?" I whispered quietly, trying to avoid any questioning stares from people nearby.

A sudden tug on my hair was her response. After the initial pull, she loosened her grip and gently pulled me to the right and down another street. I let her lead me through many twists and turns, trusting that she would show me to something useful. I doubted it was to anything ladder related, though. Amy always did what she wanted and usually ignored what I asked her to do unless she had personal interest in the matter. Beth was the one who followed orders the best out of the sisters, especially considering how Joelle ignored me and how Meg ordered me around.

After a few minutes of walking, I found myself standing in front of a spiked metal gate. I rolled my eyes when I noticed where Amy had lead me.

"And what are we to do at a cemetery, Amy?"

A rough shove urged me to enter.

"Fine, I will go look." I sighed as I pushed open the gate, closing it after entering. There was no one around, as far as I could tell. It was a cemetery after all. Not many people willingly went into cemeteries, even during the day unless it was necessary or for a short visit. Well, in the village it had been like that because Poes would occasionally cause havoc there.

Castle Town's cemetery was more kept and actually looked pretty considering rotting corpses were buried there. Along the paths there were white and yellow flowers that looked trimmed and well cared for. Bright green grass covered much of the area, excluding the white and gray stone paths and grave markers. It almost seemed like a cheery place, making me wonder why Amy wanted to come here. She hated flowers and anything "cheery." I bet she detested this beautiful cemetery that made a mockery of the typically gloomy location.

Amy tugged at my hair again, trying to direct me forward. She continued to pull even after I had begun to walk, keeping a lock of my hair captive. Near the back of the cemetery, I saw a stone building with a large mural depicting knights in battle. The mausoleum's stone door seemed closed tight when I pushed on it. I stood back and stared at the sealed door.

"What is it you want to show me, Amy?"

Her response was a phantom giggle.

"Well, open it then." I crossed my arms over my chest. "Don't just tease me."

The heavy stone door slowly grated open, leaving just enough room for me to squeeze inside. I glanced at Amy, wanting to know what was inside and hoping she did not plan on shutting me in. She pushed me forward gently and I willingly stepped inside the dark, cold tomb. Amy decided to close the door, causing the small sliver of sunlight to disappear, leaving me in total darkness. Eventually my eyes adjusted enough to see faint outlines of objects, but I wanted to see more. Amy became visible and brought out her torch, showering the room in green light.

"Amy," I began, only to whip my head in the opposite direction. Briefly, I swore I had seen movement on the other side of the room. I straightened my back and looked around for the animated object.

I flinched and stumbled back a step when a creature suddenly flew in front of my face. After the initial shock and recovery, I could see a strange Poe hovering a few feet away from me. It wore a golden yellow robe that was tattered at the bottom. Its face was covered by a grated metal mask, a faint glow showing from the cracks that told where the eyes were. It held a lantern in its hand, the gold light mixing with the green of Amy's torch.

"What is this one called?" I asked confidently. No matter the slightly strange appearance, a Poe was a Poe, and I did not fear them.

"Hue," it responded in a low, resonating voice. He was louder than any other Poe I had spoken with. It was strange to hear the words so clearly. "And you, who disturbs my grave, are?"

"Eivie. And," I pointed over my shoulder, "Amy, one of the four Sisters of the Forest."

Hue studied us for a moment, his gaze focused mainly on me. He scoffed before turning to Amy. "What is it you want from me, Forest Keeper?"

Amy moved closer to Hue, whispering to him. When she finished whatever she was telling him, she let out a giggle and floated back to my side.

Hue sighed, rolling his eyes behind his mask. "Very well then. If that is what is required, I will watch this one called Eivie."

"Watch me?" I raised my eyebrow as I waited for one of the two to explain. Neither made a move, causing me to frown. "Fine, then. If I am not meant to know, then so be it. I will find out your motive eventually." I straightened my back and clasped my hands behind my back, looking at the yellow hooded Poe. "Hue," I bowed my head slightly, "I will be expecting to see you later when Amy departs, then."

Hue snorted in annoyance, but nodded his head.

"Amy," I turned to face the door, "we will be on our way now."

Amy narrowed her eyes at me before fading into the stone door. Light quickly flooded the room. When I felt I could bare the brightness, I left the mausoleum and Hue behind. Once outside, I walked down the dirt path back to the entrance, ready to resume my mission for a ladder. While meeting another Poe was always interesting and Amy's departure was soon, a ladder was still top priority.

_Monsters and humans do not get along; that is fact. Humans only befriend other humans. Monsters only associate with other monsters. Humans listen to those they trust and to reason. Monsters obey those more powerful than themselves. We are different from each other and friendships between us cannot exist. _

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**A/N- I hope you enjoyed. Reviews and constructive criticism would be much appreciated. On a side note, the italics are a future Eivie reflecting on the events and there will likely be a similar section in each chapter. If even one person tells me to continue it would motivate me greatly! Thank you for reading!**

**-AwkwardBlackCat**


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer- I own only my original characters and the plot.

* * *

Chapter 3

Castle Town was peaceful at night. People retreated back to their homes, leaving the streets empty and quiet. I could walk down many of the streets and not see a soul. Well, a living soul. Hue had accompanied me the last few times I had ventured out for a nighttime walk. He was begrudgingly following me now, in fact.

The last few days had been quite boring. Syrup had me organizing potions and ingredients most of the time. Other times she left me to sit at the counter and help customers while she went to the back to brew more potions. There seemed to be quite a number of people in need of potions in Castle Town. Most were seeking cures to ailments, but a few knights would visit looking for health potions to heal wounds faster and ease pain more effectively. One thing they all seemed to have in common was their cheerfulness. I had never had so many smiles and compliments directed at me before; it was certainly a change. I was actually baffled as to why residents of Castle Town were so much more welcoming then the villagers had been.

"Hue, why are people so strange here?" I stopped walking and leaned against the wall of a building. "They are very welcoming and polite."

The masked Poe scoffed. "Welcoming and polite, are they? When I lived they were no such things."

"Do you remember being alive?" I tilted my head at the Poe. He had referenced his past life several times now.

"Not in great detail," he admitted after a brief silence. "I only remember rage at those around me, whoever they were. I have even forgotten my true name. Hue is the name Hylians called us by when there were many gold Poes in the city."

I nodded, not really sure what I could say to the Poe. He was not seeking comfort; he was coldly indifferent as he told his short tale. Poes held no interest in their past or why their spirits were bound to wander for all of eternity. Continuing to exist was their main concern.

I dropped the subject and went about my midnight stroll. The nighttime scenery was not particularly interesting today. The other night the sky had been incredibly clear, allowing me to see a great many stars and constellations. Today clouds covered most of the stars and often concealed the moon as well. I had to find something else to entertain myself.

"Hue, I will be going to the center of town," I warned.

"Fine," he sighed, already fading from sight.

I mumbled a thank you. Even at night, there were guards stationed in the center of town. I had not tested their reaction to a child wandering alone at night yet; I dare not push my luck by having Hue be visible for all to see.

When I arrived at the central fountain near the Castle gates, I decided to sit down on the edge of the fountain for a short break. I stared up at the clouds, finding what different shapes I could see.

I missed the woods. At least when I was bored I could visit with the Poe Sisters and collect random ingredients for Syrup. I had yet to find something interesting to do to fill my nighttime outings here.

Looking over my shoulder at the Castle, I could see lights in the windows. They must have had some social event tonight because the candles were usually blown out by this hour. It was foolish to think I could waltz into the castle to find something to do, but the idea was quite tempting right now. I had not seen rich nobles until I moved here, making them quite interesting. While other people struggled to make a decent living these people spent money on parties, fancy clothes, and many other frivolous things. Many nobles were also Hylian, which, despite only minor differences with humans, interested me.

Outside of the Faron Woods, the majority of the population consisted of Hylians. Perhaps this was the difference between the village and Castle Town. The village had been filled with humans of similar background. I had been the only Hylian around –aside from Syrup- and easily singled out because of it. In Castle Town there was variety. I was no longer the only strange one around; there were other people far stranger than I. For example many thought Dampé or the mask salesman were the strangest ones town. Others thought that the Gorons with the spring water shop were the oddest bunch. I was not at the top of the list of oddities for once, which felt fantastic, truth be told.

Drawing me from away my musings, I heard the groan of a large door opening. My back straightened and I quickly looked over my shoulder, confirming that the castle door had been opened. Not even taking the time to look who came out, I slide off of the fountain and crouched in attempt to hide. When I felt hidden enough, I peeked over the edge.

Two people walked down the courtyard's path on their way to the front gate. One was a man with dark hair and a well-trimmed beard and mustache. He wore a fancy dark blue tunic with golden accents, plain dark pants, high leather boots, and a long cloak. A noble, I thought in awe. The other was a boy my age, who walked a few paces in front of the older man. He had the oddest hair color; I had never seen a person with pale lavender hair before. His hair was abnormally long for a boy and was held back in a loose ponytail, except for the front where his hair obscured his right eye. He had a scowl on his face and looked to be quite angry for whatever reason. The older man did not seem any happier.

"Hey!"

I jumped to my feet and almost fell into the fountain, but whoever had shouted had grabbed my arm to prevent the accident. When I regained my balance and as I tried to get over the sudden shock, I looked at the cause.

"I'm sorry," a blond haired boy apologized, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't mean to scare you."

I stared at the boy. He wore a strange green hat, a rather plain green tunic, beige pants, and brown boots.

"My name's Link." He smiled brightly. "What's your name?"

"Eivie," I responded quietly. He was so… cheerful.

"Nice to meet you!" He paused before asking, "Why are you out here this late?"

"I was taking a walk." I took a seat on the edge of the fountain when he remained in front of me. "Why are you?"

He shrugged once before sitting down next to me. "My father is at that party," he said, pointing back at the castle. "He's the Knight Captain," he added with pride. "He brought me along so I could visit with a friend. I got bored after she went to bed and ended up out here. Are you by yourself?" Link tilted his head to the side, clearly puzzled.

"Yes," I admitted, seeing no way around it. Why lie? I was not doing much anyway.

"Really? You know that's dangerous, right? My father warns me not to go wandering at night all of the time. Don't your parents worry?"

"I have no parents to worry." I immediately wanted to take my words back. Now Link would pity me and pity was irritating. Even if I had sounded indifferent, he would still feel sorry for me, treat me differently than he would have had I lied or chose better phrasing. Just as the dreaded apology was forming on his lips, I cut in, "Do not apologize for something so trivial. I had not meant to gain your sympathy for such a ridiculous thing."

His eyebrows went together and his jaw partly agape. He had not been expecting that response, I am sure, but now I felt slightly bad for my bluntness. No wonder I am not a conversationalist.

"Well, I'm still sorry. Not having parents is kinda sad; I know I miss my mother a lot." He looked away and at the ground for a moment. Then our eyes met once more, Link's eyes filled with determination. "I guess if you don't care, than that's your choice, but you still shouldn't act so cold towards them. They were your parents, after all."

"I…" I nodded instead of trying to find words to express my feelings, since I did so poorly at it. I could understand why he felt parents were so important; he had most likely known and loved his mother. I had no such experience with my biological parents, whoever they were. Syrup was my only family and acted more like a caretaker than a mother or grandmother.

The conversation died there for a while. Link made no move to leave, though, which I found encouraging. I had not offended him so much that he felt it necessary to leave and find someone better to talk to.

"I've never seen you around here before," he suddenly stated. "Did you just move here, or something?"

I nodded my head. "I moved less than a week ago, in fact. Do you know of the new potion shop run by the witch Syrup?"

"Yeah. Some of the knights were talking about it and how great the potions were. Do you live there?"

"Yes. I live there and help Syrup with the shop."

"Do you get to make potions and stuff?" He asked excitedly. When I nodded he smiled brightly. "Really? That's amazing. I never get to do stuff like that, but I guess I get to go to the castle with my father."

"You are allowed into the castle? What is it like?" I caught myself before I spewed forth a string of questions. "I have never seen the interior of one before."

"Link," a new, older sounding voice called. It was a sandy blond haired man wearing a simple but stylish tunic with chain mail underneath, dark colored pants, and leather boots. It was easy to see his resemblance to Link, leading me to believe it was his father. "It is time to go home."

"Okay," Link said to him, sounding perhaps disappointed. He looked back to me with an almost goofy smile. "I'll ask if you can come with me to the castle sometime. It's too hard to describe it, so you'll have to see for yourself! Does that sound like a good plan?"

"Yes. I would…" I hesitated, still attempting to process the offer. Never before had someone my one age willingly invited me somewhere, let alone Hyrule Castle. "I would enjoy that very much. Thank you."

He gave one last smile and a wave as he left, walking beside his father down the street. I stayed sitting on the side of the fountain, staring after them until they turned around a corner and disappeared from sight. I wrung my hands together in front of me, wondering what I had just agreed to. Link seemed too nice for this to be some sort of trick, and why would he have reason to trick me anyway? But, then, why did he just offer to spend more time with me? Did that… Did that make us friends?

_One encounter is enough to change fate, for better or worse. With one word or action, the life of another can be irreparably changed. Something so seemingly insignificant can mean chaos or peace. _

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**A/N- **Thank you all for reading! A special thanks to the guest who reviewed and the people who faved and followed! I'm so glad you're liking the story! It filled my heart with rainbows knowing people like my story, readers and reviewers alike. I have decided on a tentative update schedule; Friday through Sunday are when I have time to write and update (if I do not have too many other things going on). Other times I may update during the week if I have time and motivation to do so.

**-AwkwardBlackCat**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It was a day like any other. Only two nights ago had I spoken with Link, him proclaiming that he would invite me to the castle. While a part of me doubted I would ever see or hear from him again, the other sincerely hoped that we would at least speak again. He was as close to a friend as I had; that I probably would ever have.

I picked at the wooden counter absentmindedly as I thought. Syrup had gone to make more health potions, leaving me to assist customers. It was midafternoon too; not many people were out buying potions but rather having lunch, working, or resting. Hue had left me as well, doing whatever it is a Poe does during the day. Obviously I had become quite bored with only my thoughts to entertain myself.

When the door opened, I lazily glanced up. I immediately sat up straight and stared forward, a slight smile trying to form on my lips. Link's father waited by the door, taking the opportunity to look at the potion filled shelves. He wore a knight uniform, the look completed with a sword at his hip and a shield on his back. Link run up to the counter. Today he wore a plain tan tunic decorated with blue-green designs, leading me to believe that the green outfit had perhaps been worn specifically for the party the other night.

He smiled and said hello. After I returned the greeting, he went on by saying, "Do you want to go to the castle tomorrow? My father said it was okay if you came along with us."

"That would be fine," I tried to state calmly but completely failed. I was smiling and even my voice showed how excited I was. "When?"

"In the morning, we can meet you here. Then we'll walk over to the castle and I can show you around!"

"Link," his father cut in, "don't get ahead of yourself. You forgot to ask something very important."

"Oh! Yeah, I was supposed to ask if Syrup said it was all right for you to go." Link looked back at his father, earning a nod of approval from the man.

"I have yet to ask her. I will be right back with an answer." I slide off of the stool and left the other two in the front of the shop.

I had not actually thought of asking Syrup permission for such an outing; she usually let me do as I pleased as long as I stayed out of trouble and remained helpful in the shop.

When I reached the door to the brewing room, I peeked around the frame. I hesitated for a bit, watching as she stirred a large vat of bubbling health potion. "Syrup?" I asked quietly.

"Yes, Eivie? Do you need help with a customer?" She did not look my way and continued to diligently stir the brew.

"No. I was… I was wondering if I could go somewhere tomorrow."

With this statement, she slowly looked away from her potion and at me with an eyebrow slightly raised. "And where do you want to go tomorrow?" Suspicion was evident in her voice.

"To the castle," I said before quickly adding, "with a friend."

"A friend?" She smiled and her wrinkled face relaxed. "I told you that you would make friends here." She gave a sly smile at her earlier prediction's coming true, causing me to roll my eyes. With a chuckle, she said, "Yes, you can go. Just promise to tell me more about this friend later. I sure hope it is not another Poe."

I frowned at her, not appreciating her comment against my ghostly companions. "No. He is completely human to my knowledge." I turned and left her to her potion, only stopping for a second to say a sincere thank you. She had allowed me to go; she at least deserved some gratitude.

When I arrived back in front, Link and his father remained waiting. I returned to my place behind the counter. The entire time Link looked expectantly at me.

"I can go. Syrup gave me her permission."

"Good! I'll see you tomorrow!" Link chirped happily. As he turned to leave with his father, he gave a small wave, which I returned.

The door closed, once again leaving me alone in the shop. I tried to hold back a grin as I thought of how much fun tomorrow would be. I was going to Hyrule Castle. Me, a girl from a small village, would be allowed into the great halls of the famous castle. The very thought would keep me entertained until then.

* * *

Ecstatic. That was the only way to describe how I felt. I was so excited for tomorrow, I could not sleep. I had not planned on taking a late night walk, but restlessly turning in my bed had become irritating to the point I needed to get up and do something.

"You are far too cheerful," Hue complained. "It's disgusting."

I scoffed at the dreary Poe. I turned to him, giving a narrow eyed glare. He had been annoying me about my cheerfulness for the entire walk. I was sick of it. "Well then, Hue. Perhaps we should have a change in topic that will alter my mood. Would you enjoy that?"

He groaned irritably. "If you dare bring-"

"I do dare," I interrupted. "If you wish for a subject change, I decide what it shall be." I clasped my hands behind my back and stared down the golden ghost. "Why is it you creatures follow after me and act as though you are subservient to me, a Hylian? What is it you know that you refuse to share?"

Hue remained quiet. He hovered in the air, swaying side to side ever so slightly, his glowing eyes locked in line with mine. "Fine. Be cheerful," he mumbled after a few minutes of glaring.

"That is what I thought." I curtly turned away and began walking. Such an irritating phantom, Hue was. He had nearly ruined my pleasant mood with his complaining. I took a moment to breathe and try to relieve my anger. I could deal with Hue at a later time; my visit to the castle could very well be a one-time offer.

After pushing Hue's transgression behind me, I smiled once more and continued my stroll. Tonight the sky had few clouds, so I decided that perhaps it was a good night to star gaze. My decision meant that I had to find a decent place to see from. The ledge below my window had been disappointing the last time I decided to watch the stars. It had not been nearly high enough. I made it my mission for tonight to find a more suitable location.

As I walked along the inside of the stone walls that protected the city, I looked for a place to climb up. It seemed a like a good starting point. I would just have to avoid areas where the guards were posted. Their torches clearly gave away their positions, though, making it quite easy to sneak around them unnoticed. I soon came to a tall watch tower without the faint glow of fire that signaled a guard. It would be tiresome, but there was a ladder that I could climb to reach the top.

I shrugged my shoulders and decided it was worth a try; the view would likely prove worthwhile. With that, I began my ascent, keeping a steady pace and a strong grip on the rungs. Falling would clearly be unpleasant from such a height. Although I sort of had a morbid curiosity of what it would feel like to fall and if I would die from the injuries. Joelle had enjoyed musing upon things like this; the other sisters would also join in and tease me about my mortality. Oddly I missed them and their quirkiness. Hue was so dull when compared to them, and his constant griping had proven more than annoying.

I hoisted myself over the edge of the wall when I reached the top of the tower. When my feet touched the ground, I straightened my clothes as I looked around. From the tower I could see both the great fields of the outside and the crowded buildings of the town. It was only when I took a small step forward did I notice that I was not alone.

Only a few paces away a boy was laying on the ground, scowling at me. He seemed familiar, with his long pale hair and look of irritation. It took a moment for me to recognize him as the boy I had seen leaving the castle moments before Link appeared. Being closer than I had been that night, I could see that he had red irises. A strange color that reminded me of my own odd yellow eyes.

"Do you mind?" His glare only became harsher the longer I stayed.

"I had been unaware someone was up here." I made no move to leave. He was far too interesting to ignore. Instead I sat down on the wall and made myself comfortable. "My name is Eivie," I offered, trying to spark a conversation.

"You do not intend on leaving, do you?" he grumbled as he sat up, glare still in place. The expression looked natural on his face, like he had been perfecting the look for centuries.

"I have no intention of doing so," I replied. "What is your name?"

For a while he ignored me, perhaps hoping I would grow bored and leave. When I made no move he gave an exasperated sigh. "I am Vaati. Now, do tell me, why _are_ you bothering me?"

I did not answer right away, instead choosing to consider how odd his name was. Vaati. Vaati was the strangest name I had ever heard. Eivie was an alternative form of Eve, but Vaati was completely unique and strange.

"We both have odd eye colors," I finally answered.

He gave me a look that said _Really? That is the only reason you're talking with me?_ "Well, isn't that just an absolutely _brilliant_ observation. Care to point out anything else that is blatantly obvious?"

"Your name is quite odd as well." I tried to hold back a grin, enjoying irritating the bratty boy.

"And you believe your name to be any better? A common name pronounced incorrectly?" He stood up from the ground and sat on the edge of the wall so we were at eye-level with each other. "Not to mention the fact my name will be infamous while your's is insignificant and soon to be forgotten." He was holding back a smirk.

"Infamous? A boy like you?" I laughed, enjoying the witty conversation. "And how would _you_ become known, let alone infamous?"

"I am far more powerful than you can imagine, girl. Soon enough I shall hold all of Hyrule, and then the world."

"You? Rule over anything? I honestly do not see how that could be possible."

Vaati finally let a cocky smirk form on his face. He stood up and walked forward until he was standing next to where I sat. "You are quite irritating, Eivie. But, just to prove you wrong, I shall demonstrate why I am far superior to you and everyone else." Vaati climbed on top of the wall next to me, stood up, and faced the same direction as me, with his back to the town and the ladder leading down. He gave another boastful smile. "Perhaps we will meet again, Poe summoner Eivie." He bowed his head slightly, as if he were a noble bidding a lady farewell. Then he did the unthinkable. He fell backwards, quickly being pulled by gravity to the unforgiving ground below.

I leaned over the edge expecting to see his corpse, but a gust of wind and dirt caused me to snap my eyes closed and cover my face. When I felt the sudden gale was gone, I looked down. I could see Vaati walking away from the tower and down the streets of town without any noticeable injuries from the jump.

When his pale haired head disappeared from sight, I turned around and looked back over the fields and stars pensively. Vaati had called me a Poe summoner. Could he sense Hue as well? The silly Poe had been with me the entire conversation, hiding from sight. Poes could become invisible should they desire, but I could sense their location even when they did. Had Vaati been able to do the same? And how had he managed to survive that fall? He created such a mystery around himself with his last actions and departing words. I would be lying if denied how curious I had become with the red-eyed boy.

"I hope we do encounter each other again, Vaati."

* * *

I rolled out of bed the next morning, utterly exhausted, regretting staying up so late. I went to the table in my room and brushed my hair, using the mirror to make sure I looked presentable. It would be very rude for me not to consider my appearance when Link took me to the seat of Hyrule's power. After checking over my clothes for stains or rips, I put them on, straightened out any wrinkles, and proceeded to make my way downstairs.

On the way, I could hear a customer asking Syrup about different arthritis potions. I had slept in, it seemed. Usually I awoke before Syrup opened up shop. My stomach knotted nervously, thinking that I might have missed Link. Then I remembered that Syrup would have woken me up if Link had arrived when I was still in bed. She had been happy I made a friend; she would not be as cruel as not telling me.

After having a small breakfast in the kitchen, I went to help Syrup. "Good morning," I greeted, sitting behind the counter like I did every day.

"Good morning." Syrup looked at me suspiciously. "How late were you out last night, young lady?"

I sheepishly looked at the ground to avoid her gaze. "I do not know," I admitted quietly.

She continued to stare at me expectantly.

"Later than I should have been, I guess. I could not sleep." I hesitantly looked up at her.

She sighed and shook her head. "Eivie, going out at night is dangerous and you know it." She leaned forward, whispering, "With or without your Poe friends."

"I apologize," I began, only to add somewhat defiantly, "but I like to go out at night. It's peaceful."

"You are very independent, but sometimes you need to take others' advice and help, dear," Syrup warned. She told me this often enough that I nodded my head without hearing the words.

The door opened and Link waltzed into the shop. He wore a green tunic and, surprisingly, a small sword at his hip and a shield on his back. He sort of looked like a miniature version of his father. I found it amusing enough that I had to hold back a giggle.

"Hi, Eivie," Link greeted, a smile on his face. "Are you ready to go?"

I nodded my head, making my way to his side. We then walked out the door together. After taking a few steps away from the door, I saw his father waiting as well. He smiled at us and the three of us made our way toward the castle.

I gave into my curiosity. "Why do you have a sword, Link?"

"Oh, yeah, I guess I never mentioned it before. I'm training to be a knight like my father. After I show you around the castle, I have to practice my sword and shield techniques."

"That sounds interesting. Is swordsmanship difficult to master?"

"Eh," he shrugged, "Some things are hard but others are pretty easy." He smiled and then laughed a bit. "You know, you sort of talk funny." I must of look offended because he quickly added, "You speak really formally sometimes and it reminds me of my other friend."

I nodded to show I understood he was just making a comparison rather than insulting me. "Who is your other friend? If you don't mind telling me."

He suddenly got a goofy grin. "You'll meet her later. It'll be a surprise."

"All…All right, I guess." Why keep it a secret? Link was so strange, but I dropped the subject. If he wanted to be a surprise for whatever reason, then whatever. I had not been _that _curious.

When we arrived at the gate leading into the castle grounds, the two guards saluted Link's father before allowing all three of us to enter. The garden was more impressive now that I stood in it. The many bushes were trimmed into perfectly rounded ovals. Flowers grew in many colorful patches, brightening up the otherwise gray stone path.

"There's actually another garden behind the castle," Link mentioned, perhaps noticing my awe. "We can go there later."

"Well," Link's father said when we reached the grand wooden door leading inside, "You two stay out of trouble. And Link, remember you _do _need to practice for a while today; don't slack off like last time. Being a knight takes diligence."

"Yes, father. I promise." Link gave a single wave to his father before turning to me. "Do you want to go inside first?"

I quickly nodded my head. I caught my overly excited action and quickly added, "That would be a fine place to begin."

Link smiled and shoved open the large door. I was actually surprised he could open it himself considering how absolutely ginormous, and likely heavy, the door looked. I followed him inside.

Breathtaking. The inside was the most elegant, gorgeous place I had ever been and would ever be. The vaulted ceilings made me feel tiny. A menagerie of tapestries hung above the tall windows and from the rails of a stair case leading up a level. The crest of the Royal Family made appearances on tapestries, rugs, and chairs. There were a few crystal chandeliers in the room and as sunlight passed through them, rainbows formed on the walls.

"I…" I could not even begin to tell Link how spectacular the castle was.

"I told you it's hard to describe." He smiled and went towards the stairs. When I did no move he waved for me to follow. "There's more to see, believe me."

I smiled stupidly and honestly did not care. I caught up with Link and he continued giving me a tour of the stunning castle. He showed me the dining hall that was filled with so many tables and chairs that most of the town could have sat there. I may be exaggerating a bit, but it was incomparable for me: a girl who had lived in a small hut for many years. Link also took me to the library. I nearly cried seeing so many books in one place; Syrup only kept potion related books so such variety astounded me.

When we finally made it to the garden in back, my legs were sore from all of the walking and stair climbing.

"So?" Link walked backwards to look at me while he lead us to the next place.

"Amazing. The entire castle is amazing."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Link laughed, turning back around to face forwards. "Now, I have someone I think you'd like to meet."

"Like that friend you mentioned?"

He nodded and continued to lead me towards a gazebo in the middle of the garden. I picked up my pace and walked next to Link, mildly interested in learning why he was being so cryptic about the identity of his friend.

I froze in place when I saw who was sitting on a bench, presumably waiting for Link and I's arrival. Her bright blonde hair was neatly tucked behind her ears and under a golden, red jeweled tiara. She wore an expensive looking pink, purple, and white dress.

The princess of Hyrule was Link's friend. Zelda. Princess Zelda. I was meeting the princess. My brain momentarily gave up and I stood awkwardly, staring as Link waved to her.

"Hi, Zelda!" Link smiled and lead me forward, seeing how I forgot how to walk. "This Eivie!"

"It is nice to meet you, Eivie," Zelda said, giving a polite tilt of her head. "I am Princess Zelda."

"I.. Its…" I swallowed, trying to tell my mouth to work properly. "It is an honor to meet you," I finally spat out, curtsying slightly, trying to be polite and ladylike for once in my life.

She smiled and looked back to Link. "You did not tell her she was meeting the princess, did you?"

"Nope!" Link chirped. "I thought it would be an awesome surprise." He sat down next to Zelda.

"Come sit down, Eivie," Zelda said when I continued to stand.

Finally regaining control of my legs, and hopefully my mouth, I sat down on the bench next to her, noticing it was the only available seat nearby. I smiled nervously.

"So, how you been? I haven't really talked to you since the party," Link began.

Zelda sighed, almost like she was annoyed by something. "Fine. I only wish that boy would leave me alone and quit with his childish pranks. He has become quite bothersome."

"Yeah, Wendal's been a jerk lately. Well, more than usual, anyways." Link shook his head and rolled his eyes. His tone said that he had had it with this Wendal person.

"Who?" I asked, having absolutely no idea what they were discussing. I felt left out, sort of.

"Oh, yeah, you've probably not met him," Link said.

"She might actually be lucky to have _not_ met him," Zelda mumbled quietly.

"His name is Wendal Ansel," Link continued. "His father's a politician. Wendal always pulls pranks and gets in trouble. The other night he caused a bowl of soup to splash onto Zelda. After that she had to leave. It was right before I went outside and met you." He paused and thought for a moment, like he was trying to remember something. "Zelda, do you know the name he likes to call himself? I forgot it again."

"For whatever reason, he prefers to be called Vaati," Zelda explained before sighing again. "And as Link had mentioned, he is not very pleasant. He always seems to target me, for some reason."

"Oh." Vaati's actual name was Wendal Ansel and he was a noble's son. That explained why he was here the other day. He looked nothing like his father, whom I assume was the man with him that night. It was still strange that he went by Vaati rather than his true name, though. If I met him again, I would have to ask him why. I did not feel it necessary to mention to Link or Zelda that I had met him, seeing as how they did not like him much.

"Well," Zelda spoke up, "what did you think of the castle, Eivie? I understand you just moved here, right?"

"Yes, and the castle is outstanding. I never imagined it would be so… beautiful." I looked to Link. "Thank you for inviting me, Link."

"No problem." Link rubbed the back of his head, looking as cheerful as ever.

For a moment, no one spoke, a comfortable silence forming as we all glanced around the garden. Zelda broke the silence by asking "Eivie, how did you get your nails that shade?"

I cringed, remembering that I had my hands resting on my lap for all to see. I quickly moved my hands to my sides, curling my fingers to hide my hideous purple nails as best I could. "They have always been this way." As long as I could remember my nails were an awful shade of dark purple. My nails were as unnatural as my eyes; another reminder of how I differed from others.

"Oh," she paused for a moment, noting my behavior and obvious dislike for my nails. "I think it is a lovely color," she said, trying to comfort me.

I did not care what she said; I knew it was a lie, but I smiled anyways, showing her that her earlier observation had been forgiven. She was nice, like Link, and I did not want her to feel like she owed me an actual apology for something trivial.

"Well," Link said, trying to brighten the mood, "who wants to play tag or something?"

After that, the day had returned to its upbeat mood. By the time Link decided it was time for him to go practice and Zelda had to study, I was exhausted, but happy. Zelda was very kind. And, despite my oddness and her position as princess, she treated me like an equal, as she did Link. I considered her a friend by the time I left the castle. Link and Zelda even told me to come visit again sometime. It was then that I decided that the move to Castle Town had been a blessing. I was no longer alone. I had meet two friends and an interesting acquaintance. Living here would not be as bad as I first thought.

_I was such a naïve child._

* * *

**A/N- Thank you for reading, faving, and following! Review, please? I just have no idea if this good or not. It would be nice to know if characters are in character and if Eivie is a good OC or not. It's sort of demotivating me not knowing and that is probably not a good sign. Some feedback would be great and motivate me to continue. **

**That does it for character introductions, I believe. Now it's time to get more conflict and drama. The next chapter may skip forward a few years, but I will give some indication/transition. And don't mind Vaati's "human" name because it will likely only appear a few times and is not really important. There will be more of him now, too. Young Link is (sort of) based on Toon-Link and he will getting more serious in coming chapters. **

**-AwkwardBlackCat**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

Time skip- A few years later

* * *

A metallic clink rang out, Link skillfully blocking the sword of his opponent with his shield. The other teen stepped back, trying to find an opening. Link held up his shield and sword, prepared for any move thrown at him.

He had become a formidable knight-in-training, I observed. Rarely had I watched him practice before, but today he had somehow convinced both Zelda and I to watch as he sparred with a fellow trainee. Honestly I had not expected sword play to be so entertaining to watch, but I had been proven wrong, it seemed. Link also made it look so easy, I was curious to see how other people handled themselves.

"Link has improved a lot," Zelda commented, not taking her eyes from the mock fight.

"Perhaps his bragging is warranted." I shook my head, smiling slightly. When he said he could fight, he meant it. He was not full of arrogant confidence with little evidence of skill, unlike someone else. "He could very well be the next Knight Captain."

Zelda grinned and nodded her head. "He has a very good chance. Link's father has actually requested my father to consider the idea."

I simply nodded my head, the sparring match recapturing my attention as Link began to go for the win. He stepped forward, bashing his shield against the other man's sword. The movement knocked the man off balance, allowing Link to step forward and stab at the man. Link stopped with the tip of his sword's blade pointed at the other's armored chest.

"And the victory goes to Link," the older knight refereeing the match called.

Link smiled and shook hands with his opponent before facing Zelda and I. He pointed at me saying, "I told you can fight!"

I chuckled once, seeing that Link had proven me wrong. I had been teasing him the other day when I asked him if he fought actual people or just dummies. "I see I had misjudged your ability, Link. That was a brilliant match."

"Indeed, Link," Zelda chimed in, clapping a few times for him.

"Glad you could come watch, Zelda." Link made his way forward to stand in front of us. "You seem really busy lately."

"Oh, yes, I have been. I have to learn how to run a country, after all." She paused before adding in a serious, determined voice, "I want to be a good ruler someday, so it is necessary for me to learn as much as I can."

"You'll be a great queen." Link then posed with his shield in front of him and his other hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "And I will be the next Knight Captain."

I giggled a bit at his enthusiasm before adding, on a serious note, "With Zelda as queen and you as Knight Captain, Hyrule will be well respected. From what I have seen and know of you two, Hyrule should not dread the future."

"Thank you, Eivie." Zelda smiled.

"Yeah," Link said. "But what are you going to do? Will you take over the potion shop or…?"

"I have not considered what I wish to do yet," I answered honestly.

"You probably should start," Link laughed. "All of the good apprenticeships will pass you by if you wait too long. You don't want to end up without a good job later on."

I shrugged, not really caring. There were more pressing things to think about than finding an apprenticeship for a future job.

"Well," Zelda said, standing up and straightening out her skirt, "I should go back to my studies now. It was nice to take a break and visit with you two."

Link nodded. "We'll have to do this again, sometime. Hopefully next time for longer than just a few hours."

"I will see if that is possible because I would enjoy that very much as well," Zelda answered. She gave a slight curtsy before turning to leave.

"So, what now?" Link asked when Zelda was gone from sight. "I think I'm done for today. Do you have anything to do?"

"Not really," I answered. Syrup had given me the day off, essentially, and I had nothing else to do at the moment.

Link nodded, taking in the information and considering his response.

When I glanced at him, an idea came to mind. "May I see your sword? I find it interesting." I tilted my head, waiting for a response.

He gave me a questioning look. "I don't see how it's interesting, but okay, I guess." He unhooked the sheath from his belt and held it out for me to take. When I reached, he pulled it back, saying, "Be careful not to cut yourself or anyone else." When I smiled, he hesitantly placed it in my hands. "Seriously. Be careful."

"I will," I assured, already drawing the blade. It was heavier than I thought it would be, forcing me to let the sheath drop to the ground so I did not drop the sword. The silver metal shined in the midafternoon sun, making the deadly weapon look imposing. The sword itself was rather plain in design; it was standard issue and did not have fancy elements like nobles' decorative swords. Link's sword was made for defending the city against monsters and criminals. There was no need for elaborate detailing that would be ruined in battle. I sort of wanted to swing it around but figured it was not a fantastic idea considering how nervous Link already seemed to be. I would be too, knowing how I accidentally dropped a knife inches from his foot once before. That visit to buy potion ingredients obviously caused some mistrust between us when I had a sharp object in hand.

"Here." I handed the sword back to him. "Someday I want a lesson on how to use it."

"You swinging a sword around? How about not," he laughed as he hooked the sword back onto his belt.

"Still sore about the knife incident?"

"Ha, ha. Funny joke, Eivie." He rolled his eyes. "If you really want to, I might be willing to show you. Just let me be in full armor first." He rapped his knuckles on the metal chest piece he had worn for the sparring match. "This won't be enough protection."

I scoffed at him. "What if I am actually decent with a sword and you just do not know it?"

"Yeah, keep dreaming." Link shook his head. "Are you sure you're not Wendal's lost sister or something. You keep trying to brag and it's not working."

I shrugged, hoping to drop the subject there. It was a nasty habit I had picked up from Vaati. His sarcasm and boastfulness were apparently infectious. Link still had no idea that I was well acquainted with _Wendal _and I would rather keep it that way. It would only complicate things because Vaati insisted on being a jerk to Link. Actually, he was a jerk to everyone. "Have you thought of something to do yet?" I asked, just to be sure the subject changed.

"Well, I was going to drop this armor off in the barracks first. Then I'm not sure what we should go do."

"Perhaps we will think of something while walking," I suggested, slightly annoyed with the sun by this point. It was too bright outside to be standing around purposelessly.

Link nodded in agreement before beginning to walk. I followed behind him a few steps. We soon came to the entrance of the castle nearest to the guard barracks and entered. The stone walled hallway lead to an open room where the guards had a place to rest, the area complete with a few tables and beds. On the far wall, Link went to hang his borrowed armor piece next to the others.

When he returned to my side he asked "Think of anything?" I shook my head and he sighed. "Me neither."

We took a flight of stairs that lead to the main level of the castle and near the library. As we traveled by the library and to the nearby stairs, something, or rather someone, caught my attention. Vaati held a book in his hands and was standing a few feet away from the stairs. He, of course, noticed me and suddenly got a mischievous smirk on his face. I swallowed nervously, already knowing he was scheming something. Link seemed oblivious to Vaati's presence until we reached the top of the stairs.

Link glared at the lavender haired teen for a moment. Vaati acted as if he was enthralled by the book in front of him and ignoring us. I sighed, knowing there was no escaping whatever Vaati had planned.

When Link decided to go down the stairs, he suddenly tripped and slide painfully down several stairs on his back. I cringed seeing the look on his face. I quickly went down the stairs, hoping that Vaati would spare me the same treatment. When I got to the bottom, I offered Link my hand to help him off of the ground. He accepted and pulled himself up with a pained grunt. As he rubbed his back, he glared back up the stairs at Vaati, knowing full well he had caused the _accident. _Vaati shrugged, acting as if he had no part in the matter. Link gritted his teeth and turned to storm out of the castle. I went to follow him out, only to find myself suddenly slipping and falling down. Just before the fall, I felt a very controlled gust pummel into my ankles. I glared up at Vaati as I stood back up. He smiled cheerfully and shrugged. I rolled my eyes at him. He may have spared me falling down the stairs, but he could not hold back on letting me go without incident. He never did when we happened upon each other during the day. What was worse was he could get away with it and know that I could do nothing in response. Sending Hue after him would cause an uproar and physically attacking him would be me assaulting a noble.

Link and I walked outside, both of us in a huff. We stopped once we were near the fountain, plopping down on the edge at about the same time.

"What is his problem with me," Link grumbled. "What did I ever do to him?"

"I have no idea," I sighed. Vaati's dislike for Link perplexed me. I tried to ask about it once, but got no answer. Perhaps it was time to bring it up with him again.

We sat in silence for a moment, not having a solution for Vaati's ill-mannered behavior. Link still looked quite upset, not to mention sore. Falling down stone stairs could not have been pleasant.

"Whatever," Link mumbled quietly, seemingly putting the incident out of mind for now.

"I agree. He does not deserve the attention he craves," I added. I could imagine that his tricks were for, on one level, attention. Otherwise it was for his own personal enjoyment.

"Got that right." Link leaned back and looked at the sky briefly before looking back at me. "Is it all right if I just go home? My back is killing me now." He looked needlessly apologetic.

"It does not bother me at all. It is not your fault anyway." I stood up and smiled at him. "It was nice to visit with you and Zelda today."

"Yeah." He stood up slowly, grumbling about his back. "See you, then." He walked past me. I heard him mumble "I'll get you back for this, Wendal."

Once I saw Link turn around the corner, I began my walk back to the shop. I honestly had nothing to do, so I might as well help Syrup. Even though she looked incredibly old, she was a hardy witch. I was actually beginning to think she may have created a longevity potion.

The walk back was quick and uninteresting. The streets near the market were packed like any other day. People chattered away about various bits of gossip and other trivial things. I still enjoyed the streets at night more than the overcrowded, noisy streets of day.

I arrived in the shop to find Syrup speaking with a few customers. I silently waved at her just so she knew I was back. Instead of waiting around in the shop, I went directly upstairs to my room. I sat down on the edge of my bed and stared at the items on my desk to find entertainment.

The mirror and brush offered no interest at the moment. The worn potion book would be a last resort considering I had already read it twice since Syrup had given it to me. A newer book of poetry and short stories sat on top of the potion book; I figured I would leave that be because I often read while I tended the shop counter. Link and Zelda had given me it; Zelda had suggested the book and Link actually went and got it. For some strange reason they deemed giving me a birthday present necessary. The only other thing in my room was the lantern Meg had given me a few years ago.

I had yet to see her purpose in giving it to me; it actually annoyed me sometimes. Poes did not hand out gifts without having some purpose. Hue showed how self-serving Poes were. The irritating Poe had grown more detestable lately. He would still follow me around at night, but rarely did we have a pleasant conversation with any meaning. If I asked him something he would ignore me or complain about something else. He also had a habit of disappearing during the day. I hardly ever sensed him nearby when the sun lite the sky. Not that I missed him at all; I had other people to talk with.

Link and Zelda, for some unfathomable reason, seemed to enjoy my company. I usually saw Link a few times a week when he stopped in for potions on behalf of the knights. Sometimes I would also go with him to the castle. He would then go do his training and I would read in the library. Occasionally I would meet Zelda there and talk with her while she took short breaks from her studies. I would also see Vaati in the library; while we avoided each other I could see he was researching something quite avidly. Often he would be at a table piled with old texts and have such a concentrated look he would not even notice my presence. But, like today, when he was not as focused, he would cause some sort of disturbance. It was a game to him, teasing me. It had been ever since we meet.

I heard Syrup call for me from the bottom of my stairs. Without a second thought I stood up and made my way downstairs to help with whatever she needed. Even a mindless task was better than sitting in my room staring down my desk.

* * *

I turned the page in my book lazily, growing bored of reading. Syrup had stayed up later than usual mixing potions, making it difficult for me to leave for my nighttime stroll. She had made it clear that sneaking out was no longer allowed; apparently the recent increase in monsters frightened her. In the last year or so, many more nightmarish creatures wandered the fields and occasionally near the town. Just a few days ago a group of Bublins had attacked a trade caravan, wiping out most of the group with burning arrows and clubs. While Syrup had the right to be nervous, I felt perfectly safe inside the stone walls. Her worry of my walking around at night was bordering on ridiculous.

I placed my book on my face, done trying to act like I was reading. Syrup was still awake, the sound of the spoon striking the side of the kettle as she stirred a clear indication to her where-abouts. After a while of waiting I started to feel myself drifting off. That is until I heard a high pitched screech, which successfully startled me into sitting up. My hand also swatted whatever had made the wretched noise to the floor. I frowned when I saw a single eyed bat creature laying on the floor. As it flew back into the air, I stood up and crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for the messenger to state its purpose.

The creature flew towards the window and waited for me to follow. I sighed, considering whether or not to ignore it. Syrup did not usually check if I was in bed, so if I left I would have to be extremely quiet. She had better hearing than I did, I swear. The winged monster squeaked at me, urging me to open the window. I was actually wondering how it made its way inside considering the closed window and door, but decided not to question it for now. I would likely not appreciate the answer.

I slowly opened the window, being sure not to cause an unnecessarily loud creak. The bat may have already alerted Syrup something was happening; the window would assure her I was up to no good. I carefully climbed through the window and onto the overhang, only creating a light tap on the ground. Once out, I closed the window. I slowly crept to the edge of roof, avoiding areas I knew created creaks when stepped upon. When I reached the edge, I jumped down, landing as softly as I could manage.

The bat reappeared in front of me and began leading me down the streets. It mainly kept to the darkened alleys and streets where guards were seldom posted. I soon found myself next to the deserted tower on the edge of time. Without wasting time, I climbed the ladder like I had plenty of times before. Since our first encounter, the tower became a meeting place for us.

When I reached the top I swung my leg over the edge and pulled myself over. I then leaned back, waiting to be acknowledged. The bat perched on its master's shoulder.

"It took you quite a while to get here," Vaati mocked as he turned to face me. "Did you get hurt when you tripped earlier?"

"Not as bad as Link did." I crossed my arms over my chest and narrowed my eyes at him. "I have yet to find your motive in being as cruel as you are towards Link."

"Angry at me for making a fool of your favorite knight, are you?"

"Why do you dislike Link so much?" I asked, knowing that if I took his bait the subject would be lost.

"Persistent, today, I see." He rolled his eyes. "I just do not like him. His very existence somehow irritates me."

I raised my eyebrow at him, not understanding how he hated someone without knowing them.

"You clearly do not understand; have you not taken an immediate dislike of someone upon meeting them?" When I did not respond he rolled his eyes. "Not even me?" He asked.

"No," I answered truthfully. "I found you irritating, but interesting enough to tolerate."

At this he chuckled. He motioned for me to stand next to him. I expected him to show me something when I arrived next to him, but was surprised when he wrapped his arm around my waist and forced me to jump off the side of the tower with him. He created a gust of wind that slowed our landing enough to be uninjured from leaping from such a height. Once on the ground, he rudely dropped me, causing me to land on my hands and knees. While I stood up and brushed the mud and grass off of myself, he began walking.

"There was no need for that," I grumbled when I caught up with him. I could see a smirk on his face. "Do you not worry about being attacked out here?" I asked after a few minutes of blindly following him. The further we went into the fields, the more likely we would be attacked by monsters.

"Worry about Bulblins? Are you serious?" He raised his eyebrow at me, causing me to look at the ground. "Such pathetic creatures are no match for me. Are you doubting my ability again?"

"No. I was more worried for myself than you." I paused, taking note that Hue had indeed left me again. Without him, I really had no protection of my own.

"The Poes are not subjects of your will. It must be irritating."

I nodded my head. I had no control over them; Poes did what _they _wanted. Vaati could summon those bat creatures that listened to his every command. It was maddening that I had so little control over Poes. Of course, why should Poes listen to me? I was not stronger than them. I provided no advantage to them. I could only speak with them and sense them.

We fell into silence. I walked a few steps behind Vaati, trying to decide where he was leading me. I had not been outside the city often enough to know where Vaati would even want to go. Wherever it was, it had to be east of town. I noted this as we passed by the eastern gate.

Soon we arrived to a strange area that seemed to have no discernable purpose. A few rows of stone stairs lead down to a flat area with three pillars, two of which had crumbled and fallen to the ground. The area sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking Lake Hylia. Admittedly it was quite a scenic location that likely looked beautiful during the sunset or sunrise. The moonlight only gave the gray stones a dim glow and most detailing in the stonework was lost in shadow.

Vaati rested his arms on top of the wall and looked out at the dark lake far below. I went to his side, not entirely sure why we had come to such a place. It doubt it was for the view. When he remained silent for a few minutes, I decided to speak.

"Have you found out anything new?" I tilted my head and looked at him. "About yourself, I mean."

He blew the hair in front of his eye out of the way. "Nothing in great detail. Apparently the oldest records were lost years ago and the remaining is either of little relevance or in an old dialect."

"I thought that you were able to read that?" He bragged about it to me a few times; reading old Hylian had been one of his specialties.

"Some, not all, Eivie." He sighed irritably, like he always did when discussing his memory. "For some reason it is… hazy. I know that I should know how to read it, but something is interfering."

I nodded absentmindedly. He was really bothered by this, by the fuzzy memories. He hated not knowing what they meant. Vaati griped about them often enough it was obvious he was annoyed by it even if he never directly said so. I knew better than to continue the conversation and let it end there.

After a needed silence, I asked "Why did you want to come here? I can see nothing significantly interesting here."

His answer was a shrug. When I rolled my eyes, he smiled crookedly. "Eivie," he began, his tone making me wary, "where is it you came from again?"

My brow creased, not sure what to think of the sudden inquiry. He never asked such things before; I had volunteered the personal information if I felt it to be necessary. "A village in the Faron Woods. Why do you ask?"

His smirk grew. "Do you happen to know the name of that village?"

"I…" I paused, having to think. The name… the name escaped me. "Or…Ordon, I believe."

He looked like he was holding back a laugh now. "Oh, that is great." He finally let a chuckle escape. "With your looks?" He took my hand and held it in my face, showing off my awful nails. He also motioned to my eyes. "That must have been nightmarish," he laughed. If he continued, I would call it hysterical laughing.

"What do you know?"

"Nothing at all," he said, completely straight faced. He then turned away from me, keeping hold of my hand and dragging me behind him as he walked. He took me to the one standing pillar and a sudden tornado-like wind dropped us on top of the pillar. He dropped my hand and faced me again, saying, "_Nothing at all_, little Eivie." I was about to say his name plaintively when he held up his hand to silence me. His sly grin warned me he was about to do something irksome. "Have fun," he said, shoving me off of the pillar.

He used his magic to stop me from slamming into the ground, but that did not make me feel any better about the situation he had just thrown me into. Approaching quickly were two Bokoblins, both holding large, deadly looking cleavers above their heads as they ran.

I stumbled back a few steps until I felt the pillar behind my back. "V-Vaati?" I looked up him, panicked.

"Life and death situations supposedly bring out one's true strength," he commented, sitting on the tower with a bored look on his face. "Consider this a test."

"Please, Vaati, help me," I begged, my heart racing at the sight of the monsters. When he gave no response, I grit my teeth and tried to focus on the situation. "Hue?" I called. When we arrived here I felt his presence. "Hue!" I yelled angrily. "You _will _protect me or I shall eliminate you myself."

The gold Poe finally responded and materialized in front of the charging Bokoblins. He lazily swung his lantern into one of the attacking creatures, the other continued on with its sights set on me. I narrowly avoided its first swing, the monster's blade smashing into the pillar with a horrendous screech. With Hue occupied, I was left on my own.

While the Bokoblin pulled its cleaver-like weapon out of the stone, I tried to put some distance between us. I had made it several feet by the time it looked ready for another charge. Even with so much adrenaline rushing through me, my brain could not formulate a plan. It screamed shrilly before coming after me once more. With the stairs to my back and rubble all around, I had no escape. I stood my ground, hoping that I could perhaps dodge the attack. When it was within swinging distance, I stepped back, losing balance after slipping on a stray rock. I fell onto the ground, the Bokoblin only a step away from me. I held my arms in front of me and snapped my eyes closed.

The monster made a gurgling, choking noise, causing me to open my eyes to investigate. I found my hands were on fire. For a second I panicked, not knowing what was happening. Then I noticed the fire was blue and gave off no heat. I looked at the Bokoblin, which stood in front of me, weapon raised, but seemingly unable to attack. I had to act while I could.

As soon as I stood, the blue flames disappeared. I quickly went to the monster and pried the cleaver away from it. It got over whatever shock I had caused it and yelled at me, trying to claw at me to regain control over its weapon. I swung the blade instinctually, not wanting the Bokoblin to get any closer. The creature fell to the ground, the blade buried into its neck.

I stumbled back a step, scared. I had…I had killed it. I looked away from the dead monster.

Hue stared at me, ignoring the Bokoblin he had been fighting. He seemed shocked. Vaati jumped down from his perch on the pillar, knocking the other Bokoblin off of the cliff with a strong gust. He stepped around the dead Bokoblin at my feet. I finally dropped the cleaver to the ground, my fingers numb from how hard I had been gripping the handle.

"I had not expected that," Vaati congratulated.

"What did…" I trailed off, unable to continue.

"A jinx spell," he explained. "You made it impossible for it to use its weapon for a short time." He smiled. "You are more interesting than I thought, it seems."

I held my hands in front of me, flexing them, trying to get the blue flames to return. When I had no luck, I let my arms fall to my sides. It was then I noticed Vaati walking away. "Where are you going?"

"It will be dawn soon."

I stared at him. "And you are just going to leave me here?" I looked over my shoulder at the seemingly shell-shocked Hue who had not moved. If Vaati left, I would essentially be by myself. I was not about to see if I could manage a _jinx_ _spell_ if another monster showed up.

He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "That had been the plan. I have places to be in the morning and you are incredibly slow."

I glared at him, knowing he was insulting my intelligence and not how fast I walked. I had enough of his irritating mannerisms for the night. "Vaati, you are among the lowliest creatures ever to walk Hyrule."

Instead of being insulted he scoffed and smiled. "Eivie, you have no idea how similar the two of us are. You might as well have insulted yourself just now." He resumed walking, not waiting for a response.

I watched after him for a while, somewhat confused by his words. We shared some similarities, yes, but the way he said it hinted at something else. He knew something more than he told.

"You," Hue suddenly screeched accusingly. I turned to him to see him pointing at me. "You!" He shouted. His body shook, from fear or anger, I did not know. He faded from sight and soon after left. His behavior was more off than usual, both worrying me and confusing me.

I decided to go back to town. There was no need to stand in the middle of Hyrule Field contemplating when I could do the same in the safety of my room. The thought of my room also reminded me that Syrup may have noticed me gone. My pace became quicker at the thought of her catching me sneaking back into my room.

_Sometimes the past is better left forgotten._

* * *

**A/N- Thank you all for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing! This was a long chapter, wow. I hope you all enjoyed it. And, now, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter. Seriously, I could hug you all for your kind words and encouragement! And I'm still considering switching the rating to M, because, in the fight scene, I wanted to be a bit -**_**a tiny bit**_**- more graphic for more impact. I'll wait for now and see what the next chapters require. If anyone has an opinion of this, feel free to tell me. **

**guesty- Thank you for your review. This **_**is **_**actually my first fanfic, so your advice is exactly what I needed in regards to Eivie. I did not want to create a horrible Mary Sue. Your review helped me see what the readers would think of Eivie at the moment. I'm happy to say that most of the Sue traits you pointed out already have explanations in later chapters, but you also sparked some fantastic ideas (so thanks!). I'm also really happy you liked the idea of monsters vs****.**** humans and the pacing of the story. Thank you, again, it means a lot to me! **

**Miss Ominous- I'm so happy you like the storyline! And, wow, I'm flattered that you consider me one of the best authors on here. I did not think that I would be hearing that, so thank you! Also, feel free to point out any mistakes I make. I'm always looking to improve. Thank you for reviewing! **

**Awkward passerby- I don't know how long Eivie will be a Sue, but if she stays one I'm happy you'd stick around! I never thought of a Mary Sue as describing an author before, it's an interesting concept. I guess I'll just mention that Eivie and I do share some things in common, though. It's easier to write from her POV that way. Thanks for the review! **

**-AwkwardBlackCat**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I found my way back home, exhausted from all of the recent events. My legs were sore from walking and standing most of the day. The scrapes on my hands and knees that I had received from falling stung. My head actually felt like it hurt from trying to figure out every little detail of today and if something had meaning or could be ignored. Vaati and Hue had successfully created an uproar in my mind with their strange behavior and words.

When I crawled through the window, for once in my life, I wanted to sleep. I longed for sleep just to quiet my thoughts for a few hours of peace. After closing the window and changing into my nightgown, I laid down on my bed, my eyes falling closed automatically.

It only felt like minutes had passed when the sun warmed my face enough to become uncomfortable. I groggily opened my eyes, still unbelievably tired. Despite not wanting to move, I forced myself up and over to my table to comb my hair. I needed to get dressed and go downstairs. The longer I stayed up here, the more questions Syrup would ask me. If she even suspected I had gone out last night, she would not let me out her sight, or, for that matter, earshot. Once she got going about something, she would talk for hours. She would be suspicious enough with how late I had gotten up.

I went down the stairs slowly, listening to what was going on in the shop. From the lack of noise, I guessed it was either empty or only a few quiet patrons were browsing the shelves. I first peeked around the corner of the doorframe, only to curse my luck. There were no customers. It would only be Syrup and me. As quietly and nonchalantly as I could, I walked into the shop and to a shelf I noticed needed rearranging.

"Eivie."

I swallowed nervously as I slowly turned towards her. For a second I looked at her face, seeing disappointment and slight irritation. I looked at the floor guiltily, already knowing I was about to be chastised.

"I thought I told you not to go wandering around at night."

I gave a barely noticeable shrug in response. Why had I even considered it possible that she would _not _know?

"It's dangerous! Why can't you understand that?" She stood from where she sat behind the counter. "I know you think you'll be okay, but there is a limit to what you should and shouldn't do. Those Poes are monsters; they will not protect you from everything, Eivie."

"I do not rely on them alone!" I spat back, surprising myself. "I am capable of protecting myself, especially in town. Monsters cannot invade without notice; the guards will stop them. And, even then, I am not a helpless child."

"Your Poes show that monsters can and will get into the city. And do you know how many knights have been coming back injured in monster attacks? I do not care if you _think_ you can protect yourself. I want to _know_ you are safe, which is easiest when I know where you are!"

"I…" I closed my mouth, not wanting to let another careless statement to be said. Her words were true, and her worries warranted. My actions were completely selfish, but that did not make me want to give into her will. Instead of waiting for her to continue her speech, I decided to leave. I went to the door and opened it.

"Where are you going?" Syrup asked at the same moment I was closing the door behind me.

I stopped and glanced over my shoulder to look at her. She seemed exasperated with me. "I will be back soon," I said, before reconsidering and adding, "Before nightfall, at the latest." I left without giving her a chance to react.

I walked down the streets blindly, not caring where I was. I needed to concentrate on more important things than where I was going. Even the disagreement with Syrup needed to be pushed to the back of my mind for now. Too many things had happened last night that I had not had time to analyze.

It all began when Vaati asked where I had come from originally. Not only was it odd for him to ask about my past, he seemed genuinely curious about it. He then deliberately pointed out my nails and eyes, noting that they must have made my life there _nightmarish_. It was an odd word for him to use; normally one might equate it to sympathy. He knew that my eyes had been disliked by the villagers, like the event was exclusive to the village. Of course, when I came to Castle Town, no one seemed to care how I looked. Was this all somehow related? How had Vaati pieced things together? I sighed, not having answers to my own questions.

Then he had to call us similar. I would admit we were both odd in our own ways, but not similar enough that he would say so. He prided himself on how different he was; what he alone was capable of. His magic had set him apart from everyone. It was possible he simply meant that since I could use that jinx spell we are similar, but it just did not fit his character. He loved to play mind games. Why would he bother to make a comparison for something as simple as using magic? He had a meant something else by the comment, but I was apparently too stupid to figure it out.

Hue was the most troublesome, though. I had not sensed him since the Bokoblin attack. I even made sure to walk by the cemetery on the way back last night, thinking he would go back to what was his favorite hiding place. There was no sign of the gold Poe, leading me to believe he had been angry for whatever reason. Honestly, what had I done? I doubt my idle threat last night intimidated him at all, let alone into leaving. Was it a reaction to the jinx spell? If it had been, why did it make him disappear? It was a small bit of magic; I doubt I could even hurt him with it. Poe's were not physical beings most of the time, unlike the Bokoblin. The jinx may not even affect incorporeal beings.

Suddenly I ran into someone, successfully bringing me out of my thoughts and back to the physical world. I was about to apologize to the unfortunate soul I had smashed into, only to stop, noticing who I ran into.

"Hey, Eivie," Link greeted. "You okay?"

"I am fine." I looked around, noticing my feet had somehow brought me to the castle gates. That explained why Link was here. "I was just thinking over a few things, is all."

"A few things? It looked like you were thinking about the meaning of life or something. I mean, you ran into me and almost walked into the fountain." He pointed, causing me to see that I was indeed almost to the fountain. "Is something bothering you?"

I shook my head, but Link gave me a disbelieving look. "I had a disagreement with Syrup, is all. It is not very important," I lied. "There is no need to discuss it."

"If you say so," Link said slowly. He appeared hesitant to believe I was fine. "If you want to talk about you can tell me anytime."

I gave a half smile. Link was a good listener, I had talked to him about problems I had with Syrup a few times before, actually. He advised me it was normal to disagree with parental figures, reminding me that Syrup did treat me like a grandchild or child more than I believed she did. "Thank you, Link."

"Yeah," he said as he rubbed the back of his head and looked at the castle. I was likely keeping him from something.

It was then, though, that I had a sudden question to ask him. The fountain had reminded me. "Link, may I ask you something?"

"Umm, yes, I guess," he responded, somewhat surprised.

"What did you think of me when we first met? My appearance, more specifically."

"Huh?" His eyebrows came together. "I… I don't know what you're really asking. I mean, I saw you sitting there alone and decided to talk to you. I thought maybe you were lonely, or something. I don't know."

"What about my eye color? Had you not found it strange?"

"Well, I guess, sort of. But an eye color's an eye color, right? Why does it matter?"

"You made no comparison between my eyes and something else?"

"Eivie, what do you want me to say? I give up. Why is this suddenly so important?"

"It is not important." I had what information I needed. "Thank you for answering my silly questions."

"Um, all right? You sure you're okay?"

"Perfectly so," I answered as I walked past him, hoping he would drop the subject now.

He mumbled an okay before saying goodbye, then leaving to go about his business. I began walking blindly again, mulling over the bit of information I had received from Link. He had proved one of my earlier theories. My eye color only mattered in the village. When I came to Castle Town, there was no preconceived connection between my yellow eyes and Poes. Vaati had meant my similarities with Poes somehow made the villagers wary of me, while Castle Town had not made that connection. Here my eye color was merely an odd color. The villagers had seen it as dangerous, the sign of a monster. Now I had to figure out what this all meant, which seemed another chore to accomplish.

When I finally had my fill of walking, I returned to the shop. I sneaked in through my window, deciding I did not want to deal with Syrup right now. I fell asleep for a while, waking up sometime in the early evening. I then decided to read the poem book instead of going downstairs. For once I felt relaxed and not immensely irritated, which is exactly why someone had to ruin the moment.

Syrup called me down to the shop. When I arrived, she pointed to the counter. I understood that she needed to go back and brew up some more potions and needed me to watch the shop. Apparently she did not wish to discuss our earlier argument either. There was only one customer in the shop, who honestly seemed more interested in looking than buying. I had to explain to him how various potions worked and what some of the ingredients were. When he finally left I was very irritated he had the gall to ask a bunch of questions and then leave without a single drop of potion. He had no reason to bother me with some many pointless questions. When it was time to close for the day, I locked the door and went about straightening the shelves. Once that was done I quickly went back to my room, knowing that Syrup would want to talk.

I closed my door and turned around, my eyes widening in shock. I heart felt like it skipped a beat I had been so surprised. Vaati seemed to be making himself at home in my room. He sat on the edge of my bed, paging through the book I had left open on my table.

"What are you doing in my room?"

He chuckled at my mortified tone. "I only came to see if you made it back in one piece last night," he answered in a bored tone, still finding the book more interesting than explaining himself to me.

"I doubt that is your sole reason for being here."

"And you would be correct." He closed the book, stood up, walked towards me, and stopped a foot away from me. "Where is that Poe of yours?"

"Hue?" I frowned in confusion. "I have not seen him since last night. Why do you ask?"

He ignored me. He looked like he was considering the information and how to respond to Hue's absence. "I will be attending a banquet at the castle tonight," he suddenly stated. Now that he mentioned it, his hair was held back by a ponytail; usually he only did this when he had to go the castle with his family. Apparently it was the compromise Mr. Ansel had made with Vaati when he insisted on having long hair. "I will be unavailable for most of this evening," he added.

I had no idea why he was bothering to tell me this. Especially in person; rarely did he come fetch me himself, he sent those bats instead. For him to just show and tell me something had me suspicious.

"Why are you here?" I asked again.

"I would avoid being here later if you have any attachment to the witch," he warned instead of answering. "I will be leaving a sentry with you." Before I could protest, one of the creatures suddenly appeared in front of me. "I would consider bothering that knight to accompany you as well."

I was about to ask him to explain when he held up his hand to silence me. He smirked and that is when he vanished from the room. He had teleported. I stared in awe, but then I became slightly angry. He had learned yet another spell that could potentially be very annoying. Actually, it already was considering he had shown up and left without giving a proper explanation.

The bat fluttered in front of me, its single red eye focused on me. I sighed, knowing that for the rest of the night the creepy thing would be staring at me. Not to mention the warning Vaati gave me. Whatever was happening, Syrup was somehow in danger if I stayed here. If I were to believe him, I would be forced to sneak out. What really threw me was Vaati suggesting I go visit Link. If only Vaati gave me his reasoning instead of being so cryptic about his motives. It would save me time and let me make informed decisions. I did not like that he expected to listen to him simply because he told me to do something.

Syrup called me back downstairs, her voice demanding and obviously fed up with my avoidance. I sighed, knowing there was no more running away. For now, I would listen to her complaints. Tonight I was going to sneak out, I had decided, because if Vaati bothered to warn me, it must be important.

"Stay out of sight," I whispered to the sentry, not knowing if it turn invisible or not. It likely could, considering Vaati's skill at creating the odd bat creatures.

It squeaked in response. I nodded and walked through my door to the stairs. I was prepared for the needless lecture that surely lied ahead.

* * *

The streets were very dark tonight. Clouds, and perhaps a coming storm, blocked the light of the moon and stars from illuminating the night. I had made my way to the east side of town, not entirely sure what to do with myself. Syrup had lectured me for quite a while before finally deciding to go to bed. I had not said much, choosing only to answer with simple yeses or noes. I made no promises to uphold her rules, but I still felt slightly bad for deceiving her and sneaking out. No matter how much I tried to justify my actions by telling myself it was for her safety and not simply my enjoyment, I generally felt guilty for my actions. I could tell her concern was genuine; she feared me getting hurt, or worse, killed.

I shook my head, trying to concentrate on where I was going rather than my thoughts. In choosing to come to the east side of town, I risked stumbling upon guards. The east side was had many of the middle and upper class housing, which is why the number of guards stationed here was more dense than other areas. Usually I avoided such guarded areas, but tonight I had come here on a whim. Well, perhaps more than a whim. Link lived in this district.

Suddenly I heard a few voices around the next corner, causing me to duck into the shadows of the nearest building. It was a few men, possibly even guards if the occasional metallic sounds were armor pieces knocking together. They were speaking in almost hushed tones, making it had to make out what they were saying at first. It took a moment for me to concentrate on their voices and not the background noises of the night.

"What do you think happened?" a younger sounding man asked quietly. "Is it possible a monster got into town?"

"I hope that's not the case," another guard added. "But then that would mean a person did this."

"Can someone even do this? I mean… it's bad. Really bad." The young guard seemed nervous, his voice uneven and barely above a whisper.

"Yeah. This is one of the worst things I've seen in years," a third guard added. He sounded the most experienced of the group. He spoke in a hushed, but otherwise normal tone. He did not seem as bothered by whatever they were looking at. "Revous, go get the grave keeper and inform him we'll be taking a body over soon."

"Yes, sir!" I heard the young guard's footsteps echo as he quickly walked away.

"I'll stay here, you go back to the barracks and tell anyone around that there may be a monster in the city," the apparent leader of the group dismissed the other guard.

I backed into the wall as much as I could when I heard the guard coming my way. He jogged past me, missing my location in the shadows. Once he was well away, I cautiously walked forward, being sure not to make a sound. I wanted to know; curiosity would not allow me to simply walk away.

As I got closer, I could see the glow of a torch lighting the narrow street. I stopped, nearly vomiting at the smell of blood in the air. I turned away as soon as I saw the dark pool spilling onto the street. I covered my mouth as I walked well away from the scene, wishing I had not looked in the first place. Not only was the scene horrific, I was reminded of the Bokoblin I had killed only last night. I was not used to seeing such things. Blood bothered me; it always bothered me. I could not place the emotion I felt upon seeing it, but it made me immensely uncomfortable.

I leaned against a building and stared at the sky, trying to calm down and forget what I had seen. The moment I thought I would be fine, I felt a chill run up my spine. My skin seemed to crawl with a bizarre mixture of fear and anger. It took a moment to pinpoint my discomfort, but the answer only made me more unsettled. I could sense Hue nearby, perhaps within a few hundred feet, but with him I could sense something else. Two other Poes traveled with him; two that I did not recognize. They felt different from Hue and even the sisters. They seemed more malevolent, if I had to describe the chilling feeling I got from their mere presence.

I quickly went the opposite direction. The feeling they gave me was completely wrong and it terrified me. I did not want them anywhere near me. I nearly ran to Link's home on the edge of the eastern district. Without even thinking I knocked on his door and shifted my wait impatiently. When I heard someone walking, I almost bounced up and down, hoping he would just open the door and let me in. The second the door opened I barged in and closed the door behind me.

"Eivie?" Link yawned, trying to keep his eyes open. "Why are you here?"

I was too busy trying to slow my breathing and silence the sound of my heart beating to answer.

"What's wrong?" He sounded more awake now. "Did something happen?"

"I…" I had no idea what to tell him. "I was out walking and I think I saw a monster."

"In the city?" he nearly shouted. "Are you okay? Where at? Did you tell someone?"

"I am fine. I just… got somewhat scared and… came here, I guess. I was closer to the middle of town but still in the eastern district. You are the first person I have told because I am still unsure if I saw anything or not."

Link went to the other side of the room where a wooden wardrobe sat. He opened the doors. "We need to go tell the knights and get you back home." He pulled a chain mail tunic on over his beige shirt, and then another green tunic over the top of the mail. He quickly put on a pair of boots. Link fastened his sword to his back and grabbed his shield. "Come on, I'll keep you safe."

I reluctantly followed him out of the house. Hue and the other two had been drawing nearer. I had a feeling they knew where I was and that they would soon be upon Link and I judging by how fast they were traveling. They were likely flying above the buildings, meaning they had little obstacles to avoid.

"Link," I said nervously, stopping. We were in an empty area devoid of any people.

Link stopped a few feet away from. "What is it?"

"Link, we should stay here."

"What are you talking about? We need to go tell the guards!" He turned away, determined to continue on to the castle.

I saw a gold blur suddenly appear on Link's side, ready to slam a flaming lantern into his head.

"Link," I screeched, tackling him the ground, narrowly avoiding the attack Hue had aimed at Link. I stumbled to my feet and wasted no time helping Link up as well. He drew his sword as I turned to face Hue. "What are you doing, you despicable creature?"

Hue laughed, something he rarely did. "Despicable? You are the one that deserves such a title."

I stared at the Poe, not understanding him.

The sound of Link drawing his sword caught my attention. "A Poe?"

"What is the meaning of this Hue?" I shouted, my hands forming into fists as I glared at him.

He floated away, taking a position well out of Link's reach. His eyes glowed in the darkness, focused on me. Suddenly two other creatures floated down, placing themselves between Hue and me. The new monsters looked like a pieced together doll, stiches seemingly holding them together. Both of them carried a blue-flamed lantern by their feet. Each one held a scythe, both ready to attack with their horrifying weapons.

"Lanterns?" Link mumbled.

"You are the one," a scythe wilding monster stated.

"The one that betrayed the master," the other added.

"You are to be eliminated," the creatures said perfect unison.

One flew forward, scythe poised to slash me in half. I barely avoided the attack, retreating back to Link's side. He looked confused.

I remembered him mumbling "lanterns" a few seconds ago. "Can you not see them?"

"See what?" Link sounded just as panicked as I was.

"Carrying the lanterns are two ghosts, both with scythes." I pushed him to the side when the other came in for an attack. "Just avoid being near the lanterns for now," I advised. I needed a plan, which was hard to make considering the impish Poes kept swinging their scythes around.

I tried to use a jinx spell, just hoping to distract the Poe for a moment to retreat. When the spell failed, I found one of the Imps flying towards me. When I thought it would reach me, the sentry Vaati had left me flew in front of me. Its eye glowed for a second before a bright beam of light shot at the Poe. The creature retreated from the beam, only the scythe being hit with the intensely hot laser. That proved magic based attacks were effective, but a sword was another matter.

"Try breaking the lantern," I yelled to Link. "Just be quick and move away as soon as you can."

Link nodded and went about the plan immediately. He held up his shield as he tried to get closer to the Imp Poe. He charged forward, not allowing the creature time to attack. He swung his sword. The Poe hissed as it quickly retreated into the air and out of reach. Its retreat showed the lantern was vulnerable to physical attacks. Link understood this and remained focused on the Poe, waiting for a chance to fight back. That left me to deal with the other imp and Hue if he decided to join the fight.

It was then I noticed the imp I was focused on had a bloodstained scythe. I growled, knowing that it had been the one to attack that poor person the guards' found dead in the street. The Poes had killed an innocent man while searching for me. I no longer felt any hesitation about dismantling the creature piece by piece.

"Sentry, distract it," I ordered the bat. It squeaked before flying in the face of the Poe and attempting to blast it with a laser.

I walked forward, flexing my hands at my sides. I had gone from completely terrified to irrationally livid. Rage was the sole emotion I felt in that moment. The blue flames of the jinx spell appeared, my arms shrouded by the cold flames. As the Poe moved out of the way of the sentry's attack, I came from behind and showered the creature in fire. It screeched as it tried to fly in to the air. I grabbed the scythe's staff, preventing the Poe from escaping. It was fully visible now and no longer a phantom invulnerable to attack. I managed to wrestle the scythe from its desperate grip. While raising the weapon above my head, I stomped on the lantern, hearing it crack. The Poe wailed once before letting out an enraged scream, struggling to free itself without further damaging the precious lantern.

It took only a moment to let the scythe fall and imbed itself into the helpless imp.

It took only a moment to lift it again. And again. And again. I had no control over myself; I just kept slashing at the now dead creature, feeling only anger and… and glee.

"He has the right to fear you," Hue commented, causing me to stop and stare at him. "The one that lost has risen again, it seems."

I finally released the scythe and let it fall to the ground with a loud clatter. My body shook as I stared at the aftermath of what I did. The anger was gone and replaced with fear and repulsion at my actions. I had not meant to do this. I had not wanted this. But why? Why did I? Why?

"You will not live for long." Hue began to fade away from sight and drifted upwards into the sky. "It is clear you must be wiped from existence once more."

I could not find my voice. I wanted to beg Hue to tell me what he was talking about. He faded into nothingness, leaving the area and perhaps even Castle Town. I could only stare after him, my body shaking.

"Eivie?" Link's voice sounded uncertain. "Are you… What happened?"

I slowly turned, not sure what to do. He heard me talking with the Poes. He saw the jinx spell. He saw my unnecessary cruelty in killing that Poe. How would I even begin to explain my actions? To prove I was not a monster myself?

* * *

**A/N- Sorry for the sort-of cliffhanger! I just didn't want to jam everything into one chapter. As you can see, things are starting to get interesting (I hope). The conflict is here and making itself know! Vaati knows more than he's letting on, Link just saw Eivie with her Poe "friends", Hue has made it clear he works for someone else, and Eivie had a bit of an uncontrollable anger problem. I won't end on a fight scene next chapter either (I think two in a row is enough). Thank you for reading and all that! Seriously, I really appreciate you all! Glad to see Awkward passerby and Miss Ominous again in the reviews! Seeing those made me immediately begin work on this chapter, actually. If the rating needs to be changed or trigger warnings added or something, feel free to tell me so. Right now, I think its fine, but that's just me. **

**Awkward passerby- I'm sorry for the cliffhanger again! At least it's not a life or death situation, right? I try to end it with a little lead in for the next chapter, sort of like a preview, I guess. I also don't want to give out all the information right away to keep things interesting and somewhat suspenseful. I hope it doesn't frustrate you too much. Thank you for reviewing again! **

**Miss Ominous- Yep, the pace has quickened. I knew after I introduced the characters I could unleash the plot and all the conflict that comes with it! And Hue is being a cryptic bugger and not spilling everything yet. Soon, though, his master will become known. Thank you for reviewing again!**

**-AwkwardBlackCat **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

"Eivie?" Link's voice sounded uncertain. "Are you… What happened?"

I slowly turned, not sure what to do. He heard me talking with the Poes. He saw the jinx spell. He saw my unnecessary cruelty in killing that Poe. How would I even begin to explain my actions? To prove I was not a monster myself?

"I…" My voice was unsteady and quiet. "I didn't…"

"Eivie, were you… talking to them? You were talking with the Poes?" He nearly shouted the final part. His words were filled with suspicion, shock, and perhaps even hurt.

"I can… I can explain." I had to look away from him. The expression of betrayal was ever present in his eyes. "I have been able to sense them for a long time. That gold one used to follow me around but suddenly abandoned me. I do not know why, but the Poes have turned against me." I looked back up, trying to sound determined, I said, "I had not meant for them to attack anyone. I had no part in ordering them to do so. Please, believe me when I say I meant no harm."

"And what about that blue fire, then? That was magic. Where did you learn that?" His harsh, accusatory tone remained.

"I discovered how to use that spell accidentally only a day ago."

"And that bat-thing?" He pointed to the sentry that hovered only a few feet away from me. "I've had a horde of those things attack me before! I know Wendal controls them, so why is it with you?"

I cringed, not expecting Link to recognize the sentry as Vaati's. I should have guessed, though. Vaati found using his magic for trickery endlessly entertaining. "He sent it with me," I answered honestly. I may as well share all of my lies; he hates me already anyway.

"Why would he do that?" Link seemed genuinely confused, reminding me that I never quite figured out why Vaati had given me the sentry.

"I am not entirely sure. I have known him for a while, but he is more of an acquaintance than a friend. I promise I have not condoned his tricks against you."

Link frowned, but did not speak. He only stared at me. He was judging me, I could tell, and I could not blame him. I had been keeping a fair amount of information from him. For now, all I could do was try to hold myself together and not lose my little remaining dignity be breaking down in front of him. If I lost him I essentially lost my best friend. The prospect seemed horrifying.

He sighed after a long silence. "You _will_ be telling me _everything _later. Right now, we need to get you home and report that Poes were in the city." He walked past me briskly, showing he was trying to be business-like and fulfill his duties as a knight rather than discussing personal matters at such a dangerous time. "Come on," he said when he noticed I had yet to move.

I nodded weakly before following him, dragging my feet and focusing on the cobblestone street. Why had things become so complicated? Only a day ago I had felt relatively normal, but I was suddenly thrust back into the questioning nature that had been my childhood. Once more, I understood nothing and I was fully aware that I was bothered by my own ignorance.

The question of Poes' motive had returned with a more nefarious edge. The nonsense of their pledge to eliminate me for my supposed betrayal of their master the most worrying. I honestly had no idea who they were speaking of. As if I could provide such a threat to a powerful master of Poes. I could use a jinx spell; hardly something dangerous to an entire class of monsters as well as its strongest members.

Even my own behavior was beginning to seem foreign to me. I had been terrified of the Bokoblin and the Poes. I could not bear the thought of the murder victim's demise. Yet I had somehow become so enraged with that Poe that I slashed it into a mangled pile of flesh. I had gone from one extreme emotion to another so quickly and without warning I could not remember what I had been thinking about at the time. I only felt those emotions and nothing else, leaving an irritating gape in my memory, making me question what specifically had triggered the intense loathing and rage to take over and allow me to commit such actions, even if it had been but an attacking monster.

"Link, I am sorry," I mumbled, unsure if he heard me or not. I now regretted lying to him for so long. He was one of the few that may have actually accepted the fact I could communicate with Poes. That is, if he had not witnessed the savagery of tonight, he could have. Now it was very uncertain if he would even speak to me again. "I should have told you sooner."

He glanced over his shoulder before looking forward once more. "Why didn't you?"

My lips twitched, attempting to form a pathetic smile. At least he would allow me to further explain my actions. "In Ordon, the people feared me because of the Poes. I had not wanted the same thing to happen here." As an afterthought, I added quietly, "I thought no one would talk to me if they knew."

"You could have told me, you know." Link sighed. "I get that you were nervous, but still… This isn't something you keep from people."

"I know," I whispered, fully agreeing with him. I should have told him, but I had not because I feared rejection. I should have considered the possibility that it was possible for people to notice on their own.

There was a silence as we came ever nearer to home. I returned my focus to the ground, not wanting to see Link's occasional peeks over his shoulder. He did not trust me following him, his back open for me to attack.

When we reached the entrance of the shop, we both stopped. "Stay here and don't leave for the rest of the night," Link ordered, sounding very much like a knight issuing a command.

I nodded once. "I will not leave for the remainder of the night," I promised.

"We'll talk later, okay?" Link said almost softly, perhaps noticing how depressed I seemed. "I'll listen to what you have to say, but I am still mad at you. Friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other."

"Thank you, Link." I managed a smile.

He nodded before beginning his trek to the castle. I watched him walk away for a few seconds before making my way to my room's window. I hauled myself onto the roof and sat down, not wishing to go inside. I hugged my legs to my chest and stared into the starless, clouded sky.

Once my neck began to ache from looking up, I decided to go inside and to bed. There was nothing I could do right now. Sleep also seemed like a nice escape from reality. I carefully slide open the window and crawled inside. It made a slight creak when I closed it, making me cringe and hope Syrup had not heard. I relaxed a bit when I did not hear anything. I grabbed my nightgown and threw it onto the table as I reached for the small hand mirror.

As I expected, dark stains were smudged across my face, arms, and my legs. After rubbing the blood off of my skin, I set my clothes aside, knowing that I would have to clean them as best I could tomorrow. There were a few potions could try using, but odds were my clothes were ruined. I stared at myself in the mirror, noting how dark the area around my eyes had become. I needed sleep or I would continue to look like a ReDead. I actually shuttered at the comparison, remembering the Poe Sisters mentioning that ReDeads were similar to Poes. There may be ReDeads attacking the city soon enough.

I quickly pulled on my nightgown when I noticed the sentry eye watching me. I gave it a backhanded slap and knocked it to the other side of the room, the creature shrieking in surprise. If Vaati could see me, he was probably laughing like a lunatic. He easily could have had that bat hide from sight to spy on me. He just wanted a reaction from me by letting the thing fly around in plain sight. Not that I would prefer either one. I was likely blushing from embarrassment considering how warm my face suddenly felt.

"You are extremely irritating and immature," I stated while glaring at the sentry. It squeaked again and I rolled my eyes at it before letting myself fall back onto my bed. I was too exhausted for this right now. Sleep would be nice considering how much I had to deal with tomorrow. Trying to explain everything to Link would be emotionally draining and hunting down and speaking with Vaati will prove frustrating, I am sure.

* * *

I met him by the fountain early the next morning. I had been surprised at first, not expecting him to arrive so early. In truth, I thought I would have more time to consider how to best explain things to Link, but now I would have no organized plan, leaving me with my lacking social skills to get me through it.

We had been sitting in silence for a few moments. Link seemed to be waiting for me to begin the conversation. I opened and closed my mouth a few times, trying to find words to begin my worst nightmare of explaining my connection with Poes to Link. Link had made it clear he did not like monsters; he knew every guard and knight that was injured or killed by monsters. It was natural for humans to despise monsters as it was instinct for monsters to hunt humans.

"I should have told you," I repeated once more, the statement perfectly reflecting my view of the situation. "When I lived in Faron, there were a number of Poes that lived in the forest. I found that I could understand them and sense them even when they faded from sight. I had isolated myself from the villagers and the Poes were essentially all of the company I had. When I came here, I met Hue, the golden Poe from last night." I paused finally. It felt somewhat good to share this with someone.

Link nodded and took a moment to process the information before asking, "Why are they attacking you now? What happened?"

"Two nights ago, I had been in the fields with…" I almost said Vaati but I corrected myself. "With Wedal when some Bokoblins attacked. He left me to fight them and I accidentally used that spell." I glanced at Link, noticing he frowned even more with the mention of Vaati. "Hue left after that and returned last night."

"Do have any idea why the Poes are coming after you?" He sighed before adding, "Last night, they found a dead beggar. If the Poes keep attacking people…"

"I know. If it should continue, I will leave. There is no point in staying if the Poes are so determined to kill me."

Link looked down at his hands, guilty I was so quick to come to the conclusion the town was better off if I left. "I hope it doesn't come to that."

I nodded. "I do not know why they are trying to kill me, but I have some ideas of where to begin researching. If I cannot find an answer in the library, I will go back to Faron and try questioning some of the Poes there, if possible. Wendal may know something as well," I mumbled with a hint of irritation. Vaati may know something but getting him to tell me may be impossible. "Do you know where he would be?"

"I don't know," Link grumbled, "I try to avoid him as best I can. If he's not in the library or castle, I have no idea where he'd be." Before I said anything, Link quickly asked, "How long have you known him?"

"I met him soon after I met you. Because of how strange his abilities are, I thought that perhaps he would know why I have such a connection with Poes. He is infuriating but knowledgeable."

He rolled his eyes at the mention of Vaati being intelligent. There was a brief pause, both of us watching the people beginning to mill around the open square. Link surprised me with his next statement.

"You were acting sort of strange last night."

I nodded, not having an explanation. I was hoping that perhaps he would let it slip by without needing discussion. "I do not know why I did what I did last night." As vague as my answer was, I did not want to say "brutally killed that Poe" out loud. "I think I will go to the library." I stood up, eager to leave and drop the subject. "Unless you have anything more to ask?"

"No, not right now." Link stood up as well. "I need to go to."

We walked to the gates of the castle together. The guards allowed us both to enter, Link being the sole reason I was able to go as well. Because both his father and Link were well respected, their judgment was trusted. Link had told the guard that I would not be any trouble and that it was perfectly fine for me to enter. I was lucky he still considered me trustworthy enough to enter the castle or finding information would be even more difficult.

Once we entered the courtyard, we parted ways. I went into the castle and directly to the library. I could not rely on the Poes and Vaati to answer all of my questions. I would have to find the answers for myself.

* * *

**Sort of a short, almost boring, chapter, I guess. I had planned for a lot more but midterms sort of killed me this week. Discoveries will be made in the library, I assure you of that. But what? The next chapter will hopefully answer some of the nagging questions Eivie has encountered. And a big thank you to everyone that read, faved, and followed! Once more, thank you for the continued support Miss Ominous and Awkward passerby! The next chapter may or may not be posted on Saturday because I have an essay I need to work on this week. It will probably be between Sunday and Wednesday instead. **

**Awkward passerby- I am seriously happy that anyone takes the time to review. The least I can do is tell you how much I appreciate it and to answer any questions! Glad to have you around and thanks for reviewing! **

**Miss Ominous- No problem, even a short review is much appreciated! I know how being tired is… midterms and studying are wearing me out. And I actually never anticipated updating so much, but, after I started and actually knew some people were reading, I got inspired. My ideas fell into place and I actually have the majority of the story –well the general things- outlined. I just have to make individual chapters out of it, which isn't too difficult, meaning fairly quick updates. I'm not sure how long I can keep it up though… life likes to get in the way. Thanks for reviewing again! **

**-AwkwardBlackCat **


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When I arrived in the library, I tracked down a librarian to help me begin my search. He had seemed a little confused as to why I wished to view old incident reports from the Faron Woods area, but, no matter his feelings, he made himself useful. He managed to find several documents and books pertaining to the subject, going back from last year to two decades in the past. I sat down at a table near the less visited section of the library and began sifting through the reports from past to present as quickly and thoroughly as I could manage.

Many of the reports had little to do with Poes, instead having to deal with minor disagreements between farmers or where Deku Babas had been sprouting up uncontrollably. Occasionally there would be mention of a stray Bulblin wondering into town, a Poe seen outside the graveyard, or other relatively small monster attacks or sightings. The Faron Woods two decades ago had been a peaceful place for the most part.

It was when I reached reports dating to twelve years ago had I found something quite interesting. I had not considered, even though I was only five years old, that I would not remember something that had devastated Ordon to such a degree.

The report detailed the sudden attack of possibly twenty or more different Poes on the village. They had come without warning, destroying everything in sight, killing anyone unfortunate enough to be in their path. Lanterns lighting the houses aflame, scythes slashing people apart, bodies rising from the graves as ReDeads; it had been complete chaos. About half of the population of Ordon had been killed, explaining why the village had been so small when I had lived there. And, as sudden as the attack had begun, it had simply stopped. The Poes just left after a few hours of senseless terrorizing.

I laid the report on the table, staring at the print with a frown. The final line had called the event _nightmarish_. The exact word Vaati had used what seemed an eternity ago, but was only two nights ago. He had been alluding to this incident, perhaps even this very document. Because the village had been decimated by a sudden onslaught of Poes, my looks would brand me suspect. And, the moment I foolishly reveled I could communicate with Poes, I had shown myself to be a possible threat. With this knowledge, I could see much of my problems with villagers had been created by my own actions. I felt almost foolish to think that they had merely singled me out without reason when I had clearly presented myself as a danger.

Another minor detail that bothered me was why the Poes would bother to attack Ordon. Unlike Bulblins or Bokoblins that raided for supplies, to establish territory, and occasionally for sport, Poes had no reason to attack on such a large scale. Poes are incorporeal creatures that wandered about alone or in small groups rarely exceeding five. They are also intelligent. Every Poe I met could communicate and used complex thought-processes to come to decisions. Other monsters simply relied on instincts, while Poes would strategize. There had to be some purpose to the attack, but finding an answer in a human-made report would not be possible. The way Link and others spoke of monsters showed little understanding of monsters' motives.

I shuffled through the pile, not paying much attention. I doubt that there was anything more for me to read. I felt that I remembered much of the recent past from ten years onward, giving me little reason to continue reading the documents before me. For some reason I had expected to find more events specifically relating to Poes. While I had learned a very interesting fact, I was still disappointed that I had not found more.

With a sigh, I stacked the books into a neat pile to return to the librarian. I sought out the helpful man and gave him the books with a short "thank you" for his help. With not much else to do, I decided to search through the library for anything related to monsters. The librarian directed me to a section, once more giving me a questioning look about my topic of interest. After he disappeared around a shelf, I lazily picked out a book and paged through it.

I heard light footsteps, but chose to ignore them, figuring it was a scholar or librarian. It took a moment for me to acknowledge I knew the person who now stood beside me.

"Hello, Eivie." Zelda smiled, adjusting her hold on a small stack of books.

"Zelda," I said with a slight nod and smile.

There was a pause as she seemed to stare at me, her eyebrows coming together. "Are you feeling ill?"

"No," I mumbled, catching myself as I went to rub my eyes. The dark circles of sleep deprivation were still plaguing me. "I have not slept well, is all."

She nodded her head once, but seemed to be considering my answer.

"How have you been?" I asked quickly, just to get off the subject of me.

"Oh, well, but also very busy. We have been having some problems with the Gerudo again, and, well, negotiations can be difficult."

"What is it they want this time?" I remember Zelda having mentioned the Gerudo a few times before. The dessert-dwellers liked to be difficult when it came to working with their Hylian rulers ever since the area was annexed nearly a century ago.

"This time they are asking that we return the Arbiter Grounds to them. I know that it used to be a temple, but moving all of those prisoners to a new location would be very difficult and, overall, impractical." She gave a heavy sigh, continuing with, "And it does not help that they sent their _king. _In truth the whole matter has become an attempt to reestablish separate nations."

"Politics are as complicated as ever, I see."

Zelda laughed once at the comment. "Some things never change." After a brief pause, she asked, "What are you reading today?"

"Would you happen to know any old books describing monsters?"

Her eyebrows came together and she tilted her head to the side. "Well, I might. There are some books that were recently found in the castle basement that may be what you are looking for. They are in a very old dialect, though. I can try to read it, but, honestly, I know very little Old Hylian."

"Can we take a look at them?" I caught my excitement and added, "I mean, if you would not mind showing me them."

"Oh, no, I can show you." She adjusted her hold on her books once more before beginning to lead me through the library. "To be honest, I would rather not go back to studying just yet. What are you hoping to find?"

"Nothing in particular. I am just… curious, I guess. After all of the recent incidents, I wish to know more about the threats monsters pose. "

Zelda's expression became grim. "I know, the monsters returning in such numbers is very worrisome. In fact, I was informed there was an attack in the city. I fear for the safety of Hyrule, especially if the monsters' numbers continue to rise."

I was quick to agree with her. I then quietly followed Zelda to the other side of the library. The shelves in this area were filled with ancient looking books, scrolls, and even a few stone tablets were on display. The old books were likely only available to scholars and, well, people of power. If I had not been in the company of Zelda, I doubt I would even be allowed into this area.

Zelda stopped abruptly, making me stumble into a stop before I crashed into her. She lightly ran her fingers over the spines of a few books, studying the titles carefully. "This one, I believe," she mumbled as she gently pulled a book from the shelf. She walked over to the nearest table and sat her pile of books to the side and laid the other in front of us.

The book was quite thick with a dark yellow cover and many intricate, sewn designs. The writing on the book was the ancient symbols of old Hylian. With time the language and writing had changed to such a degree that barely any common person could make out a single word among old texts, myself included. Zelda began turning through a few of the aged pages. I caught sight of a few drawings.

"Wait," I said, not sure why the picture we had just flipped by seemed oddly familiar. "Go back a few pages, please."

She nodded and slowly turned the pages back.

"This page," I mumbled, staring at the drawing curiously. It was a very large, single eyed bat with numerous wings and a pair of vicious claws. It looked similar to the sentries Vaati controlled. "Are you able to read anything on this page?"

"I can try." She squinted at the letters on the page, concentrating on trying to find anything she could understand. After a few minutes, she gave a frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry, I cannot read anything of much importance."

I shook my head. "That is no problem. I only found the drawing interesting. Thank you for showing me this book." I leaned over the book, looking at the drawing as if it would explain itself. "Would it be all right if I look at it for a while longer?"

"Oh, yes, that should be fine." She grabbed her books once more. "I should probably be on my way. It was nice seeing you, Eivie." She smiled.

"Likewise and thank you once more."

She nodded and went on her way.

I sat down at the table and delicately traced over the ink drawing, closely studying the creature depicted. It had to be related to Vaati, I concluded once more. The monstrosity of a bat looked like a more stylized version of the sentries. Because I had no hope of reading it, though, I decided to give up and surrender the information to him.

I glanced around, looking to see if anyone was within hearing distance. After confirming no one was near enough to hear, I whispered, "Vaati, I found something interesting." As I expected, the little sentry eye suddenly landed on my shoulder. I had a feeling the bothersome creature was still watching me. Addressing the small bat as Vaati still felt ridiculous as well, although it was humorous in a way.

I pointed to the book and the bat followed my movement. After a moment of it narrowing its eye and examining the pages, it squeaked, almost sounding happy. It flew off of my shoulder and grabbed hold of the edge of the book, closing it to study the cover.

Then it vanished in a puff of purple smoke. I gritted my teeth. Of course he would not tell me what the book said. He did not even give me a chance to ask him anything! I stood up, the chair making a horrendous noise as it dragged across the floor. My face flushed when people looked at me, wondering why I had caused such a commotion. I quickly sat back down, remembering that I had planned to look through the entire book simply to see the drawings.

What I found was not very interesting. While I eventually come across a picture of a Poe, I quickly learned that not being able to read any of the information was quite irritating. I had finished looking through the book and had returned it to the nearest librarian to reshelf.

I decided it was time to go back to the shop and perhaps help Syrup with customers. I groaned quietly, remembering that I had no idea if she knew that I left last night. I would actually like to think up a few plans to get in contact with Vaati, especially considering the sentry seemed to leave me for good, as well as how to earn Link's trust back.

* * *

**A/N- This chapter was meant to be part of seven, so it's sort of short as well. But, hey, Eivie learned Ordon was attacked by Poes! She knows a bit more now, even if it is not the full story yet. Soon, though, it shall all become known… I also feel I should mention the "Old Hylian" is simply there because different games in the series use different alphabets and I felt like including it. Once again, thank you all so much for reading, faving, following, and reviewing! **

**Lady Fai- A guess! I love guesses, although I will never tell anyone if they are right or wrong. "Wait and see" is more my game. I hope you're enjoying the story and thank you for reviewing!**

**Awkward passerby- Yeah, Link is not very happy with Eivie, but, you know, keeping secrets can be quite upsetting. I could not let her get away with it so easily. And thank you for being understanding about the late updates. Thank you for reviewing and reading!**

**Miss Ominous- How did you know it was math-related studying? Math of any sort makes my head want to implode and a comprehensive midterm had me horrified, but I passed and don't have more tests until finals! And thank you for being understanding with updates. Also, don't worry too much about not having an account. Reviews and just reading are perfectly fine with me and much appreciated! Thank you for reading and reviewing! **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was becoming yet another restless night for me. Ever since that rotten Hue and those other two attacked a few days ago, more and more Poes seemed to be visiting the town nightly. The day after the attack, the next wave of Poes had managed to infiltrate the walls, only to be met by a group of knights. Two people were killed that night fighting off the Poes. While they had been successful in thwarting the Poes, I still felt horrible for the casualties. While I was bothered by the incident, there was something else that had been worrying me. After that night they never reentered the town. I could sense them nearby, just outside the walls, but they did not enter. For the past two nights, the Poes had come at dusk and would seemingly leave without incident well before dawn. Surely the knights had not intimidated them to the point they remained outside.

I rolled over in my bed, not comfortable enough to sleep.

At least Link was not _as_ angry now. I had spoken with him nearly every day, trying to share everything I knew so he could relay the information to the knights and guards. He had been quite upset about the two that were killed by Poes though. It was hard to judge if he had forgiven me because he was so stressed about the Poes and other monsters being too close to town.

And Vaati proved to be a very irritating person to track down. I had yet to find even one person that knew where he had been going during the day. I had tried the library, but he had apparently not been there for a while. I did not want to risk going out at night to find him, although it seemed I would have to. If he had left the sentry with me I would not have this problem. Well, actually, I probably would, but at least I could complain to him instead of to myself.

I flipped onto my back and stared at the ceiling.

I could faintly sense several Poes outside. They had been coming in groups of five or more. A few had been like the Imp Poes from the other night, some similar to the sisters, as well as another few unknown forms. In variety and in numbers; someone seemed desperate to kill me and I still had no idea why.

I closed my eyes, trying to sleep instead of creating yet more unanswerable questions for myself. For much of the night, however, I followed the movements of the Poes. They never made it past the wall.

* * *

It was early morning, the sky still colored with the rising of the sun and a layer of dew shimmering on nearly every plant. I sat down on the edge of the fountain in front of the castle. As I waited, I listened to the soothing sound of the fountain. I could have fallen asleep if left alone.

"Hey," Link greeted as he sat next to me. His eyes also had a dark bags under them from a clear lack of sleep. Because of the monsters, the knights and guards had been busy. Link, younger knights, and even volunteers had taken to keeping the town safe. Link had been on the night watch last night, it would seem.

He yawned. "Last night, we found a band of Bulblins near Lake Hylia. That's third group we've had to kill this week. There is definitely something going on because this is just ridiculous how many monsters have moved in on Castle Town." He rubbed his eyes and yawned once more. "We only got back a few hours ago and I have another shift this afternoon." He finished his side of the information exchange and began with his questions. "I haven't heard anything about Poes in the last few days. Have they stopped?"

"No, I have sensed them outside the city every night." I raised my eyebrow. "Other people have not reported seeing them?"

"No one patrolling the walls have mentioned seeing Poes. Bokoblins and Bulblins, yes, but not one person saw Poes. Are you sure they are there?"

"I am certain they are there," I shot back, almost defensively. I mumbled sorry before adding, "I have not been able to sleep because of their presence. They… bother me. I cannot stand their pointless visits. They have no reason to stay outside of the city when they can very easily enter and…" I paused my rant, ending quietly with, "and kill me. The constant threat of attack has me more on edge then if they would just come after me."

"I know what you mean. I would rather hunt them down _before_ they got a chance to attack." There was a brief silence before Link continued. "I was able to talk with Zelda yesterday. She seemed really stressed out with all that is happening. She mentioned that she could feel evil presences in the city, like powerful, boss monsters' type of evil. And… she is very concerned for her father…"

"The rumors are true then. The king has fallen ill?"

"Yeah, he's been sick for a week or so. Some of the knights think the Gerudo's poisoned him or cursed him." He whispered, "I agree with them."

I simply nodded and looked down at the ground, not having much else to say on the topic of the king. Zelda had certainly hidden her worry well when I had met her in the library a few days ago. Had I known… Had I known I would have made a fool out of myself trying to comfort her. It may have been better that she had kept the truth from me.

"Had she described the evil she sensed?" I decided I may be more helpful in this area than that of family issues.

"No, not really. Just that they were powerful and not the common monsters we had been dealing with."

We fell silent again. People had just begun filing into the streets, on their way to work or the market. Soon it would be time to leave to go about our own business. Link would go prepare for his next watch. I would return to the shop to help Syrup, especially since the number of customers had increased. People had been stocking up on medicines before the monsters inevitably made a move to conquer Castle Town.

"Are they still holding that festival?" I asked, suddenly curious. With all of the recent events, I thought that perhaps they would cancel the annual festival supposedly honoring the defeat of a great monster ages ago. The reason for the festival had been lost but it was still an excuse for a celebration and thusly kept around.

Link nodded. "They will be setting up either later today or tomorrow. I asked my father why they did not cancel it, but he said people deserved a short, one-day break from the madness the monsters are causing. Most of the guards and knights, as well as a few volunteers, will still be working though. I only have a few hours off that afternoon. I think Zelda said she could come for a while if it's not too late or she's not too busy. Would you like to come too?"

"Umm, yes." I smiled slightly. "I would enjoy that."

Link smiled back before he stood up. He offered to help me up and I accepted. "I need to go rest before my next patrol. Talk to you later?"

I nodded.

He waved once before walking away. Soon enough he was out of sight. I took a moment to stretch and yawn. Then I slowly walked back to the shop, prepared for the long day of talking with customers and brewing potions.

I could no longer stand it. I had to know why the Poes kept outside the walls. Although it was nearly the middle of the night and very dark considering the cloud cover, I decided to crawl out my window and leave to find my own answers. I knew the perfect place to begin looking. It was only tonight that I had realized the Poes had been congregating at the very tower Vaati and I liked to meet.

I turned a corner, noticing a guard only feet away, thankfully looking the other direction. I quickly backed away, taking another street. For once I tried to walk down the darkest of alleys to avoid detection. Because I had not been out since the Poe incident, I had no clue where the increased number of guards were posted. While before I would have been questioned if caught, now I would likely be detained for disobeying the recent curfew laws. Risking the alleys seemed a better option than ending up in the dungeons.

Soon enough I arrived to the watch tower. Without looking, I reached for the ladder, knowing where it was by memory. My hand grasped at empty air. I stared at the brick wall before me, the ladder non-existent. It was gone. The ladder was gone. I ground my teeth together, about ready to kick the wall in frustration.

As I turned to leave, a flicker of sorts caught my attention, forcing me to look back at the tower. The ladder was now there, as if it had never been gone in the first place. I hesitantly reached out again and grasped the first rung. Baffled as to the sudden appearance, I was slow to place all of my weight onto the ladder. Once I felt it was real enough and not an illusion, I began climbing up.

When I arrived to the top and had my feet firmly planted on the tower, I noticed the cause of the vanishing ladder. Vaati sat on the edge of the tower overlooking the fields. He had a book in one hand while he used the other to lazily cast spells, seemingly at the ground. I wandered to his side.

"Eivie," he greeted passively.

I said nothing, instead looking below the tower in a mild shock. There were two ReDeads clawing at the tower, trying to climb up. Several Poes hovered nearby. Two Imp Poes stared on as the other, more common, purple Poes tried to fling fire at the tower. The magic would fizzle out before making it far. And, scattered between the ReDead and Poes, there were stone statues. Each statue was of a ReDead caught in mid-attack, their mouths hanging open as the prepared to shriek.

Suddenly Vaati switched from wind magic to a crackling spell. One of the ReDeads howled in pain as it slowly turned into a stone statue.

"What are you doing?" I whispered. He was not even looking at the monsters as he killed them. He did not fear them, or even seem to be interested in killing them. He looked bored with it.

"They have been quite persistent, the foolish creatures. However, they have made for good target practice." He set the book to the side, allowing me to see it was the very book I had found in the library the other day. He chuckled when he sent a large tornado at the monsters. The remaining ReDead screeched as it was torn apart by the vicious winds. The Poes tried to escape, only finding their lanterns destroyed by the several sentries Vaati had summoned.

When the monsters were dead, he turned around and stood up. I stumbled back a step. He was different. Something about him had changed. The dangerous glint in his red eyes, the way he brutally and callously killed the monsters, and the way he seemed to enjoy the pain he had caused them, all of these things caused me to take a few steps away from of him.

"Are you afraid of me, Eivie?" he teased, taking a step forward. When I twitched to move away again, he laughed a few times. "No need to fear me this moment, I do not plan on harming you. On the contrary, I would like to give you my gratitude. That book you found has proven to be most enlightening."

"What… what is it about?"

His answer was a crooked smile and silence.

"Why are you protecting the town?" I tried, hoping to at least get some information from him.

"Protecting these weak humans?" he scoffed. "While right now you are quite useless, soon enough you may prove to be a valuable ally. Letting them kill you prematurely would be a waste." He held up his hand when I prepared to blurt out another question. "My dear, naïve, Eivie, soon I will be leaving you to deal with your own problems. Once you learn about your connection to the Poes, I will allow you to make your decision. Just remember one thing: monsters and humans will never be accepting of each other."

"What are you talking about, Vaati? Please, just tell me plainly what you know!" I took a step towards him in a failed attempt to be demanding. "What do you know about me?" I shouted.

He smirked, his eyes showing how amused he was with my anger and pleas. "If you cannot figure it out yourself, then you are better off with the foolish humans. But, should you realize your potential, you could become something truly horrifying, a creature worthy of serving under me."

"If you refuse to tell me about myself, then answer this: What was in that book? Why are you suddenly so… so…" I could not find a proper word to describe his new behavior.

"Evil?" he finished, rolling his eyes. "The most powerful of monsters are very difficult to kill. A god is impossible to defeat."

"Are you calling yourself a god?"

"No, not yet. Soon, though, I shall become an unstoppable god. I shall destroy them once and for all," he growled. "I will not be defeated again!" The wind roared around him in his rage for a second before he collected himself. "Know that if you stand in my way, you too will be destroyed, but, should you side with me, you will have the world bowing before you." He smiled deviously again and then turned away from me.

"Vaati?" I reached out to grab his wrist. I was too late and he had already disappeared from sight using that blasted teleportation spell. "What are you planning?" I mumbled quietly even though I knew he was gone.

I let myself fall to the ground and sit down, pulling one knee up to rest my chin on. I ran a hand through my hair, just trying to organize my thoughts. Vaati was gone and with him all of the answers to my numerous questions. Whatever he had read in that book had sparked something in him. His arrogance and anger took on a new meaning to the point I was terrified to see what he decided to do next. He had been able to kill those Poes with minimal effort; if he actually wanted to cause harm… he could destroy anything in his way.

And if he had been the one keeping the Poes out of the city, they would be attacking now that he had left. I could not protect myself if they showed up in such numbers. I would have difficulty defeating one Poe, never mind several aided by ReDeads. I would need help, that much is certain, but dragging Link into this was wrong. I had created the problem and he should not have to risk his life for my own incompetence. Although, if I failed to kill the Poes, the monsters may attack the town for the fun of it. Either way, Castle Town and everyone in it were in danger.

The next days could very well determine the fate of Castle Town.

* * *

**A/N- I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, because I certainly liked typing it! There was finally some action this chapter, not just dialogue and information. I am really excited to type the next couple of chapters. Thank you to all who have faved, followed, read, and reviewed. You all make me so happy and I hope you'll be stickin' around. **

**Miss Ominous- Zelda is more of a side character, I guess. I mean, she does have her role in the story and is not just there. I am not really sure how to write Zelda's character, so I guess I am avoiding making her a main character… And the reason I have an update schedule is my procrastination problem. If I did not give myself a "due date" I would be horrible about updating even monthly. I'm happy you're still here reading and reviewing. Thank you! **

**Awkward passerby- Well, she did give the villagers a good reason when she had Beth scare those children. I will probably be giving more explanation to the Ordon Poe attack to better show why Ordon is so suspicious of her. Thanks for reviewing again! **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

They had not returned the next night. While I should have felt relieved over the Poes' absence, I knew it was only a matter of time. Perhaps they had been thinking of a new strategy, especially now that Vaati claimed to be leaving.

I had not seen him since, but that honestly meant nothing. He could still be around, avoiding me, or I simply could be missing him. I could not find him before, so why should it be any different now?

My frustration caused me to scrub more furiously. I had the misfortune of being splashed with a purple potion this morning. Now, seeing as how I still planned on going to the festival today, I had to remove the stain. I would not embarrass Link and Zelda by having a gigantic stain on my already plain clothes. My fingers began to feel numb from how tight I grasped the scrub brush.

With a sigh, I dropped the brush back into the dish of water. I could not tell if the stain was completely gone with the fabric being wet, but, with how long I cleaned the blasted thing, it should be gone. Having one nicer dress was a real pain, but clothes were horridly expensive. Only nobles could afford having several outfits.

I walked back to the front of the shop. While it was not open, Syrup had me organizing potions, taking stock of what we had, what would be spoiled soon, and other _fun _inventory questions. I would be busy until the afternoon at this rate.

* * *

Link knocked on the door a few hours later. When I answered, I was happy to see a smile on his face. All of the extra patrols had been souring his mood lately, so this was a welcome sight. He wore his green tunic with chain mail underneath, his sword and shield with him as well. He had just come from working.

"Ready to go?"

I nodded cheerfully, walking past him and outside as he held the door open for me. "Will Zelda be joining us?"

"Yeah, I talked to her yesterday. She said she could come for a while if some other knights were there to escort her. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. She is a princess, after all. She cannot be wandering the streets without protection."

"She doesn't agree with that," he chuckled. "She had complained about the other knights accompanying her; she said 'Link and I can handle anything that dares attack us. We are not helpless children.'"

"She is probably right, though." I smiled and giggled once. "She can be scary when she is mad or determined." Link had provided me with some entertaining tales of Zelda yelling at Vaati a few different times. Apparently even Vaati knew to back down when Zelda decided she had had enough of his tricks. Although he never learned to _stop_ with his pranks; his pride would not allow for defeat.

Link nodded and fell silent for a while as we made our way to the castle. The streets were more lively than usual. Colorful banners were strung along the buildings. People formed large groups, chattering away about numerous topics. Music filled the air; the cheerful singing and instruments further lightening the mood of the city. The troublesome last few days seemed like a distant memory.

"Looks like it might rain later," Link mumbled as he looked at the sky. He sounded disappointed.

"And it might not," I added, trying to be positive for once. If only for a few hours, I wanted to be happy and stress-free, like everyone else seemed to be today.

Link laughed. "Yeah, you're right. You're sure cheerful today."

I nodded, smiling. "I guess I am."

When we made it the castle gates. Zelda was already waiting; she stood up from her seat on the side of the fountain to greet us. Two armored knights followed behind her, staying a few feet back to allow some sort of privacy.

"Hey Zelda," Link greeted.

"Hello Link, Eivie," Zelda grinned. "Where should we go first? I have heard that there are some lovely crafts for sale. Oh, a maid mentioned this one stand has absolutely fantastic food."

"I think food is a good idea." Link quickly added, "I haven't eaten since this morning!"

"Let us go find something to eat then," I agreed.

After we had eaten countless treats, we wandered the market square. A few people had their shops open for the festival and were selling various crafts like handmade jewelry, clothes, carved decorations, and many other things. Link had been distracted by a stand of wooden carvings, mentioning that his father's birthday was coming up and one of the decorations may be a good gift. Zelda and I looked over a table of jewelry made of polished stones and inexpensive fabric strings. They had a certain charm to them, I guess. I turned over a necklace with a pale green stone, sort of wanting it for a silly reason.

"Hey," Link said as he rejoined Zelda and me.

"Did you find a gift?" Zelda asked.

"No, I think I'll get him something else. He needs a new sword sheath, so I think I'll try to find one of those. You find anything?"

Zelda shook her head.

I placed the necklace back onto the table. I could not afford anyways. "No. Not really."

"I think I need a break walking," Link said. "Want to go find somewhere to sit down?"

Zelda and I agreed, so we all went to find a nice spot to take a break. It was now evening, the sun slowly moving towards the horizon. We sat down on a bench near the center of the town, listening to the bards' music.

"How is your father, Zelda," Link asked quietly. "Is he any better?"

"He is… a little better. The doctors are still unsure what ails him." She paused, seeming apprehensive for a moment. "I would hate to place blame, but… it is very likely the Gerudo tried to poison him. If it was not them… then it would be one of us, and that is a scary thought."

"It is. If we can't even trust the people around us…" Link trailed off. After a moment he added, "I hope your father recovers."

"I do as well," I quietly said.

"Thank you for your concern," she smiled weakly.

We were silent for a while, listening to the music. The sky had gathered more clouds. With any more it would get dark outside even quicker than usual.

"Eivie," Zelda suddenly began, "you were… friends with Wendal, right?"

I did not answer right away. She must have heard that from Link. "Acquaintances, more so."

"Do you know where he went? His father has mentioned that he disappeared a few days ago."

"A few of the knights had mentioned that," Link added.

"I do not know." I looked at the ground, frowning. "He had not told me where he would be going, but had mentioned leaving."

"Oh," was their response. The subject faded away after that, seeing as how there were no answers to be found.

"Have there been many monster incidents lately?" I asked Link.

"More of the same: Bulblins, Bokoblins, everything, really. Yesterday there were a flock of Kargarok that flew over the southern fields. Thankfully there were no more attacks on people…that were reported anyways. Have there been any Poes around?"

"No." With that response, Link gave a worried, confused look. "They will likely be back, though."

Link nodded his head. "We'll be ready for them."

My lips twitched into a smile for a second. I mumbled a thank you.

After that we talked about other things, trying to forget the troubles around us for the rest of the evening. When the sun began to set behind the building wall of clouds, we decided it was time to return home. Link had to get ready for his next shift and Zelda had her curfew to worry about. We milled about for a bit, avoiding parting for a moment. We decided to go to the potion shop first, seeing as how Link and Zelda were going to the same place.

The street was near empty, which was nice considering how congested the market had been. The two knights that accompanied Zelda had stayed a few paces back; I only noticed them now because their clinking armor. I had been caught up in my own thoughts that it took a moment for me to realize what was nearby.

A wave of uneasiness hit me, stopping me in my tracks. Link and Zelda abruptly stopped as well. Before us were an army of ReDead, slowly stumbling forward, moaning. A few other people were nearby; some screamed in surprise while others ran.

Link and the other knights wordlessly sprang into action. Link and one knight took a position in front of me and Zelda, while the other went to find warn the town about the threat.

And, if the army of ReDead were not horrifying enough, I could sense something else in front of us, only a few feet away. My attention was solely focused on what I could sense, nearly blocking out everything else.

A dark figure shrouded in a cloak of shrieking bats rose from the shadows. Its eyes glowed an eerie, vibrant green. It held an imposing scythe decorated with a Stalfos skull. This Poe had its own identity, it was a powerful creature that had made a name for itself.

The ReDead lethargically closed the distance between us. I heard a few knights yell about finding reinforcements. Link told Zelda to stay close to him until they could find her a way to escape. She protested, saying she could protect herself and that he needed to focus on defending the other citizens nearby.

"To think I would be here to kill something so pathetic looking," the ghostly creature complained. It had a deep, reverberating voice, making it sound like a male. "A mortal melded with a Poe has my Lord feeling threatened? Hue, are you absolutely certain you have not made a mistake?"

Hue faded into existence above the other ghost. "No, Gomess, this is the one," Hue answered irritably.

"What…" I began meekly, barely catching the one called Gomess' attention. "What do you know about me? Who is this Lord of yours?" I managed a near-shout, surprisingly. My hands were shaking with how scared I was.

"Lord Jahalla, the master of Poes. Forgotten even that, have you?" It glanced back to Hue, ignoring me as if I were not there. "Hue, she is not very impressive. Calling her a threat is calling you powerful. If anything, she is making a mockery of its past glory."

"Just get rid of her, Gomess.," Hue sighed. Obviously Gomess was not interested in taking orders from the weaker Poe.

"Tell me everything you know, creature. What am I and why are you here?"

"Even your mind has fallen to madness; not a _single_ memory from then. You are but a pathetic human like this. Not worthy of a death by my blade." Gomess rested its scythe on its shoulder, the bats changing to quiet squeaks rather than irritated screeches. "I honestly don't want to waste time with you. Hue, how have you not eliminated her yourself? Too scared, perhaps?"

"She is stronger than she appears," Hue grumbled and added defensively. "Also that sorcerer had been watching her. Is not angering him a good enough excuse, Gomess?"

Gomess chuckled at this. The low sound was absolutely disturbing. "Yes, the sorcerer _had_ been preventing any real attempts to enter the city. How lucky it is he abandoned the girl." Gomess laughed once more before continuing. At this point it was obvious he had lost interest in me and would rather ramble about things to Hue. "The irony that the betrayer is abandoned by its allies and then killed by former comrades! Oh, Hue, while you failed at finding an interesting opponent, you have woven an interesting tale. Jahalla will be very impressed as he kills you for your idiocy."

"You infernal creature," I growled suddenly, no longer tolerating its teasing. "If you came here to fight and kill me, then do so. I grow bored of your tasteless commentary with that half-witted Poe." The words seemed to flow out of my mouth, my brain not making any real input.

Gomess cut off whatever its next words to Hue would have been. Instead Gomess returned his attention to me with a cold stare. After a moment of wordless glaring, its mouth formed a demonic smile. "Perhaps you are not as far gone as first thought. What is it you call yourself by? I want to know the name of the one I will dismember and feed my bats as a reward."

I stood with my hands clasped behind my back; the pose returning after a few years absence. How natural it felt as I stood defiantly against the creature questioning my ability. "Eivie. And your bats will not have the pleasure of feasting upon me." I took a moment to look over my shoulder, remembering I had not been alone. Link and Zelda continued to fight off ReDead; Link slashed them apart and Zelda cast light magic that burned the monsters. They did take time to glance at me, their expression clearly stating how strange my change in demeanor was.

"Such defiance in the face of your inevitable doom," Gomess stated over the growing din of noise the excited bats were creating. "Eivie, you shall die here." The phantom raised its scythe, showing it was now convinced I was worthy enough to kill.

Before it got a chance to attack, I managed to take a look around the chaotic streets in hopes of finding a weapon. Without a weapon, I would be left using solely a jinx spell to defeat a powerful creature. There was also no way I could wrestle the scythe away from Gomess like I had down with the Bokoblin and Imp Poe.

The light from Hue's lantern reflected off the armor of a nearby corpse. I took a chance and ran straight for the body, hoping to find something useful. I could hear Gomess laughing at my urgency; he had yet to make a move and seemed to be waiting. I grabbed the sword, trying my best to avoid looking at the dead knight. Guilt for his death could wait for another time.

The sword felt light in my hands when I compared it to the pilfered machete and scythe I had used previously. I gave a practice swing as I walked closer to Gomess. The blade could cut through anything given enough time and power, I decided. Gomess cackled as he rose a few feet into the air, enough to hover above the ground but still within my reach. Hue moved away, being the coward he was, not wanting to be a part of the fray.

Gomess suddenly held his arms in the air, the horde of bats swarming around him, screeching shrilly. A group of the black bats broke away from Gomess, quickly flying towards me with sharp claws and teeth ready to tear into my skin. Because of how unexpected the attack was, I had no time to prepare a counter attack, leaving me to pathetically attempt to duck away from the angry swam.

My ears were ringing with the high-pitched calls surrounding me. I covered my face instinctively, my arms then taking the brunt of the damage. The bats' claws cut into my skin, leaving small but painful lacerations. A few latched onto me and bit down so hard to the point I could not even shake them off. The few seconds the bats surrounded me felt like an eternity.

I concentrated and managed to cover my body in a jinx spell. As I moved my arms down, I caught sight of several bats fleeing back to Gomess and, the less fortunate ones, flopping on the ground as they burned to death. I quickly assessed my wounds, noting how droplets of blood ran down my arms and how stains were forming near the tears in my clothing. With a few more rounds of bats, it would become a problem, but, right now, as adrenaline fueled my body, pain was considerably dulled. I could manage this, I told myself.

"Already finished?" Gomess taunted. More bats seemed to surround him, replacing any I had managed to kill.

I felt the corner of my mouth twitch to form a smile.

_Do not underestimate me, fool. _

Gomess sent another bunch of bats towards me. Instead of waiting for them to reach me, I cast a jinx spell, the blue flames engulfing the bats. I had no time to marvel at how much stronger the spell suddenly was. Gomess swung his scythe, dispelling the flames, and flew at me.

An arrow cloaked in a blinding light glanced across Gomess, sending it into a small retreat to judge where the attack had come from. I risked looking over my shoulder, seeing Zelda readying another arrow to shoot a nearby ReDead. She had taken a moment to protect me using her light magic.

While Gomess seemed to be in shock, I sent another plume of fire at it. The flames struck the left side of his body, instantly killing the bats in the immediate area. Gomess growled in anger rather than pain, seeming like the jinx had little effect. Gomess summoned more bats easily, negating any progress I had made. He prepared to attack once more, sending bats to distract from his attack.

_Persistent, but predictable._

Without Zelda's help, Gomess was able to fly right in front of me even after I had killed the swarm. He swung his scythe down with such speed I only saw a blur of movement. On instinct, I had snapped my eyes closed, waiting for death.

A gleeful, deranged laugh rang out… from me. It just happened when I saw how perplexed and dumbfounded Gomess looked with his mouth hanging open and eyes squinted. Instead of being confused to how I was alive, I cackled away. It took a moment for me to become conscious that the scythe's blade was imbedded in the ground beneath my feet. I held up my hand, completely baffled to how I survived a blow through my head and body. I could see through my hand; I had become incorporeal like a Poe. But, despite how marvelous this ability was, I noticed something else more alarming. My nails had grown longer, appearing sharpened and the purple had darkened. The skin of my hands seemed even paler than normal; a disturbingly white-gray color, actually.

Gomess growled as he raised his scythe from the ground. "I will not be made a fool!" He let out a loud screech, rivalling the horrific noises made by the ReDead.

He called forth a cloud of bats so dense, seeing became impossible. Only the chaotic fluttering of wings and flashes of fangs and claws were visible. For a moment, I had been able to remain a ghost and avoid the bats' fury, but I had grown tired alarmingly fast, forcing me to become part of the physical world once more. I blindly swung the sword as I cast jinxes, hoping to kill enough of them to see were Gomess planned to attack.

_From above. _

I glanced up and aimed the largest flame I could manage into the sky. The blue fire burned the bats, causing them to rain down on me. I caught a glimpse of the spell surrounding a large object, presumably Gomess. Flakey, burnt scraps of fabric fell from above.

Gomess retreated a few feet away, this time affected by the attack. He had been apparently wearing a cloak before, which now disintegrated to ashes. A faintly glowing green orb was now visible in the center of his chest. It had to be a weak point, like a lantern to the average Poe.

I took the initiative to attack first this time, especially because Gomess seemed preoccupied with his destroyed cloak. He noticed my approach, summoning bats once more, but not in as great of numbers.

_He is weakening. How disappointing. _

I surrounded myself with a jinx spell to keep the bats off of me as I continued forward. He swung his scythe, twirling around in a circle forming a deadly spinning attack. I was forced to retreat until he halted his spinning. Gomess suddenly flew forward at a far greater speed than I thought him capable of. Not knowing how to turn into a ghostly state on-command, I clumsily tried to dodge by jumping to the side. My arm did not get out of the way of the blade, causing me to scream as a nasty cut was made across my upper arm.

Gomess sounded gleeful at the injury, taking a moment to cackle. He did not move away from me, remaining only a few feet away. Despite how painful it was, I forced my injured arm to move and help hold the hilt of the sword.

Gomess caught my movement too late. I had lunged forward, the sword raised above my head as high as I could manage. The blade struck the orb, causing it to crack and begin to shatter. Gomess shrieked as he moved away. He did not make it far, falling to the ground only a few feet away, now too weak to hover in the air. His scythe clattered as he dropped it on the ground, trying to use both hands to hold the precious orb together.

_Pathetic creature._

I made my way toward him, dragging the tip of the sword across the ground. His glowing eyes met mine, showing anger, fear, and, perhaps, respect.

"You underestimated me. I may be weaker attached to this human, but I still am superior. Even Jahalla knows this, which is why he hopes you pathetic creatures could eliminate me before he is forced to face me once more," I spoke, feeling as though I was not the one speaking, but under the control of another. Though, at the same time, I knew it was me, a part of me that I had little control over. "Gomess, you have earned my respect."

I slashed the sword, sending him falling onto his back. I stepped onto the splintering orb, beginning to slowly crush it beneath me.

"Jahalla is… is right to fear you," Gomess stammered, hissing in pain, but not struggling to free himself. "But he has beat you before…" He laughed quietly before coughing. "Such a shame I will not see the struggle once more." The orb made a sickening crack. Gomess smirked despite already fading away. "Perhaps we will meet once more in death."

"You will make a good servant, Gomess." I said, even though the creature had faded into nothingness.

My thoughts returned to me and the first thing I did was glance at the wound on my arm. The wound was deep, but blood had stopped flowing out and had become but a slow ooze. I would need to treat it soon and hope for the best. I had confidence in the healing potions of Syrup's, though, and I figured a scar would be all that I was left with.

I glanced at my hands, still seeing how disgusting my nails looked. They were still pointed and claw-like. My skin still had an unnatural grayness to it; not the result of blood loss either. I honestly did not know what to do concerning those changes, instead hopping that they might wear off or something.

I caught a reflection on the sword, quickly jerking my attention to it. Hesitantly, I held up the sword, using the blade as a mirror. I bit my lip, noticing the faint, yellow glowing eyes reflected back at me. Even my eyes had become more Poe-like. It was that change that threw me over the edge. There was no possible way this was related something normal ailment. My appearance now was beyond simply strange for a human; it was bordering completely inhuman. I stared at my own reflection in horror.

"Eivie!" I heard Link shout. "Are you all right?"

I dropped the sword to the ground and refused to turn around to confirm I had heard him. I held my hand in front of my, fixated on the nails and skin. I could not let him see me like this. The jinx spell, the Poes, nothing compared to how much of a monster I seemed now.

"Eivie?" He called again.

It was then I remembered what Vaati had said.

_"Monsters and humans will never be accepting of each other."_

* * *

**A/N- I'm back! I've been so busy, so **_**very **_**busy. (It's been seriously ridiculous -_-) I'll probably be updating every two weeks for a while. I hope this chapter was worth the wait! Gomess is from Majora's Mask, and Jahalla is from Wind Waker, just in case any of you haven't played those/remember those random enemies. They are both like Poes, so I thought it would be neat to include them and expand on them a bit. There will be more Jahalla to come since he's been revealed to be the leader of the Poes. And Eivie… well, she is finally so dang close to knowing the whole truth. Feel free to guess at what Eivie is (even though the clues have been **_**very **_**small details)! I would like to know what you all think before I let you in on the "secret." And if anyone could tell me how the fight scene was, I would be grateful. I don't really know how I'm doing with those… Just because I can, I think I'll go put the "theme" music I write to on my profile. Go check it out if you like listening to music as you read. Thank you all for reviewing, reading, favoriting, and following! You are all fantastic people! I hope you are all enjoying the story!**

**Awkward passerby- And that is why I like reviews! You can tell me what you see and how you feel about the story. I agree that the children deserved a good scare, but I also don't want to say Eivie could get away with no consequences. I want to try to make it realistic, I guess? I'm glad you seem to be on Eivie's side, because then she must not be a horrible character. Thank you for reviewing! **

**Miss Ominous- Really? My chapters are a good length? Iis extremely happy). I had no idea how I was doing with that, but thought I was doing all right. Thank you for saying they're a good length! I sort of feel evil leaving cliffhangers, but, you know, that's what keeps people reading and me writing. Suspense is a motivating thing for me. Thanks for reviewing!**

**Guest- A new guest! I'm not sure if you made it this chapter yet, or not, because you reviewed chapter one, but, first, thank you for reviewing. I like hearing people's thoughts. I see you're not a fan of those children as well. I had no idea they could have such an impact, but I agree. Just because people are different does not justify being a jerk. Hope you're enjoying the story! **


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Eivie?" he called again.

It was then I remembered what Vaati had said.

_"Monsters and humans will never be accepting of each other."_

"Everything will be fine," I told myself, though I could not believe my own words. "It will be okay…" I dropped my hands to my sides, disgusted with the monstrous nails and graying skin.

"Eivie, are you all right?"

I heard footsteps drawing nearer, causing me to fidget nervously. How could I avoid him seeing me? If I ran away, he would likely follow out of concern. He put his hand on my shoulder, gently attempting to turn me to face him. I shrugged him off by taking a few steps forward.

"Are you hurt?" He tried to step in front of me, only to have me turn my face so my hair hide my eyes. "Is something wrong? Eivie, talk to me, please."

"I am… I am fine," I muttered, fearing my voice had given away my distress. I took a few steps away, hoping to escape the situation.

Link caught my arm, unfortunately brushing the wound from Gomess' scythe. When I yelped, he quickly released his hold and apologized. "Where are you going? You're hurt! You need to have those cuts looked at!"

"No!" I shouted, before gulping. "I will be fine," I whispered. "I need to go speak with the Poe Sisters. I need to leave the city."

"You can't! What if you're attacked again?" He shouted. "You're hurt. They could kill you," he lowered his voice. "You don't have to leave. We can help you. Please stay," he nearly begged.

I bit my lip in a poor attempt to control my emotions. I turned away from him so my back was to him and my face was completely hidden. "I need to go or they will continue to attack Castle Town. The Sisters may be able to help me. I will be fine."

"Eivie, you are completely covered in scrapes and blood, and you look ill." He took a step forward. "Just please, let us help you."

"Yes, Eivie, you are in no condition to travel anywhere," Zelda added.

There was silence as they waited for me to respond. For a time, I stared at the ground, trying to avoid having tears slip from my eyes. They were so concerned, but, the moment they saw me, they would cringe. I knew they would. There was no way they would brush away my appearance, especially after all they had seen and heard when I fought Gomess.

For some reason I chose to giggle through my sobs when I decided what to do. I wiped my hand across my face in attempt to remove my tears. When I knew my efforts were in vain, I turned around. At first, I avoided their attempts to look at my face, still unsure if I wanted to show them.

But I did. I tilted my face and brushed my hair out of my face. They froze up, eyebrows coming together in obvious confusion. While they were focused on my glowing eyes and at a loss of words, I attempted to become a ghost. After a few seconds, I had managed to slip into the incorporeal state and quickly moved past them.

I took physical form after only a few steps, growing more exhausted the longer I stayed in the ghostly state. Despite my tiredness, I began running. I needed to get away from them before they chose to stop me.

"Eivie!" Zelda shouted.

I heard Link sprinting after me, calling for me to stop. He was quickly catching up with me. If I wanted to get away, I would have to do something. I swallowed hard when I had an idea. His footsteps were loud and he was almost close enough to tackle me. I had to act or let him catch me.

Without looking back, I cast a jinx spell at the ground. I heard Link yell in surprise, followed by the sound of him falling, his shield and sword clinking against the cobblestones.

"I am so sorry," I whispered as I continued to run.

Once I had gotten away from Link, I made my way to the south gate. I arrived and was met by a guard manning the gate.

"Open it," I ordered from a distance. "I have business to attend to."

"It is past the curfew and we have explicit orders for the gate to remain closed," he answered. "Return home, young lady, before I have to report you."

I sighed, holding back a whine. "Open it," I repeated forcibly. I closed the distance between us and stood straight with my hands clasped behind my back. I tilted my head to the side, waiting for the wide-eyed guard to respond. "If you do not wish to be killed, I suggest you do as you are told." Just for effect, I cast a jinx spell to surround me in flames briefly.

The guard stuttered as he backed away. He reached for his sword, clumsily taking it from its hilt. His arms shook as he pointed the sword at me. "G-get away, monster."

"Monster," I mouthed. Suddenly I fell into a fit of hysterical laughter. "They knew all along. The villagers had known _exactly_ what I was. How stupid I had been not to believe them!" I shouted, throwing my hands in the air in defeat. _I am a monster. I have been all along. I am not human at all. I cannot stay here; they do not want me here. _A stray tear ran down my face before I returned my attention to the guard. "I will ask one more time: open the gate. Refuse and you will be nothing but a corpse." It took everything I had to keep my voice from cracking, to maintain a strong exterior while I broke on the inside. To appear simply insane rather than absolutely pathetic.

He took my threat and scrambled to the gate, almost tripping over his own feet in his haste. It took a few moments before he had the gate open. I walked past him calmly, my back straight and hands still clasped together. Once I stepped outside the gate, it quickly closed behind me, the guard eager to keep me out of town.

I glanced over my shoulder, taking a last look at the town before I made my way to the forest. After a moment, I collected myself to begin the tiring trek to Faron. It would likely be noon when I arrived to the woods, judging by how the sun had set not too horribly long ago. I somewhat regretted not taking a sword or some other weapon with me; using so much magic had made me tired. I doubted my ability to rely on it for protection, especially if met by another powerful monster like Gomess.

I started walking, trying to focus on my surroundings rather than my own thoughts and emotions. It was the only way I could manage not having a complete meltdown.

* * *

I rolled over, the sun warm against my skin.

My eyes shot open, my body jerking into a sitting position. I had fallen asleep in the middle of the field, which I had no recollection of doing. Had I simply become so tired I fell asleep while walking?

A movement caught my attention. Nearby a large human-like creature wearing dark, heavy armor stood. It had a sword and shield at its side. It wore a helmet that hid its face, but it appeared to be surveying the area judging by how its head moved from side to side. It was a Darknut, one of the most feared classes of monsters Hyrule had. I slowly got to my feet and tried to move away undetected, but it noticed me. It gave a low grunt and the armor clattered as it turned its attention to me. For a few moments I waited for it to charge at me, but it did not move, only looked at me curiously. I slowly backed away, amazed that the creature never choose to attack. It did not intend to harm me, I decided. I turned my back to it, walking at a decent pace, but being sure to listen extra carefully if the monster changed its mind.

Once I was a good distance away, I paused to glance up at the sky. It was afternoon now; I had been sleeping for quite a while. In the distance I could see the beginnings if the forest. If I sped up a bit, I could easily reach the woods by dusk.

Next I glanced down at my arms, taking stock on how bad my injuries were. What surprised me was that the small cuts had already begun to close and the large gash had greatly improved. I was happy to see that my skin had also returned to simply pale rather than gray. Upon seeing that, I glanced at my nails, seeing that they had returned to a normal length. I could only hope my eyes had returned to normal as well.

Last night must have somehow triggered the change. Had it been because I feared for my life? That was how I had discovered the jinx spell, so perhaps the other abilities appeared because of the threat of death. I shook my head, hoping the Poe Sisters could tell me more rather than me thinking in circles for hours on end.

Despite the soreness in my legs, I forced myself to jog, hoping to reach Faron quickly.

* * *

The sun had just begun to set when I arrived to the tree line of the grand Faron Woods. Without much thought, I wandered in, not wanting to waste time looking for a path. I had been through the woods enough to find my way to the village eventually.

I scoffed at that. I was deliberately looking for the village. How enthused they will be at my return. From the village, I would first check the graveyard and then head to the temple in my search for the Poe Sisters. They would not have to see me and I would not have to deal with them if I stayed out of sight.

After walking through the woods for some time, I could see the swaying shadows and light cast by torches ahead. I would have considered it a group of hunters if I had not noticed that the light happened to be green, blue, yellow, and purple in color. They had been as considerate as to meet me it seems.

I stepped out into a small clearing in the trees, the Sisters all turning my way. We stared at each other for a moment, giving a silent greeting of sorts. Meg drifted toward me slowly, the other three falling behind her in a neat line.

"What am I?" I asked her, almost in an accusatory way.

"How much need I explain to you? Give me more specific questions."

"Who is Jahalla and why does he seek to kill me? Why did my appearance change when I battled Gomess? Why do I have the abilities of a Poe?" My voice rose with each question. I could not contain my desperation and confusion. Or my anger at the Poes that likely knew what I was from the start.

"Lord Jahalla is the leader of our kind; the strongest Poe."

"_Our_ kind?" I interrupted, feeling that she had included me in that statement.

She glared at me, not amused with my rudeness. "Yes, our kind. You are but a Poe trapped in a mortal body."

"W-what?"

"Yes. Eivie is not human. Eivie is not monster. You are an abomination formed when a Poe has been trapped in living body by possessing a person for too long. The body you have now had once belonged to a human and the soul you have once belonged to a Poe. Eivie is the result of the memories being mixed and twisted together."

"Why would a Poe take possession of a body and choose to stay in it?"

"Usually we take control of the dead, becoming ReDead and Gibdo. Sometimes we possess the living, but often only briefly or we will lose to the living soul. Only a powerful Poe can take control of a human and maintain control, only suffering memory loss after a long period of time, but also still retaining a Poe's abilities."

"I asked _why _a Poe would use a body," I stated in mild frustration.

Amy giggled but ceased when Meg turned to give the green Poe an angry stare. Joelle rolled her eyes.

"We do not. It was your foolish choice to trap yourself. Other Poes know better," Joelle answered.

"Joelle," Meg warned. When the yellow Poe rolled her eyes again, Meg sighed and returned her attention to me. "You choose to hide in body when you lost to Jahalla, knowing he is too pig-brained to consider the idea. Even now he doubts your return. Word of Gomess' defeat has not yet reached him, we made sure of that."

"When did I fight Jahalla? You have to be more specific than brushing a subject and expecting me to remember it!" I shouted, losing patience with the cryptic Poes. "Have I not made it clear that I know nothing?"

"Fine, you dull-witted creature," Joelle snapped. "We will show you exactly what you did and how much chaos you had created with your foolishness."

"We may have respect for your former self, but this human before us is irritating," Meg added, glaring at Joelle. "Despite our apparent dishonesty, we have remained quite loyal to you. Remember that before you act rashly upon hearing this, should Death Sword's personality make an appearance, that is."

"Death Sword?" I whispered, the ridiculous name sounding remotely familiar.

"Yes, what is now Eivie used to be called Death Sword," Meg answered as she moved out of the way for Beth to come forward. "We have a potion that had been given to us by a powerful demon. He said it would show you exactly what you wish to know."

Beth offered a small vial, the glass twinkling in the light of the torches. I reluctantly held my hand out and accepted the potion. Before I dared drink it, I examined it, trying to make out anything significant.

"You… got this from a demon?" I sloshed the liquid in the bottle around. A demon was worse than a monster. _Much _worse than a monster. Demon was a name reserved for a select few monsters that had proven to be the most foul of creatures. Should I dare accept a mysterious potion from one?

"Yes. He seemed truthful enough, and mentioned he had a personal liking for you," Meg answered. Joelle rolled her eyes at the last part. "He is also on poor terms with Jahalla. He would benefit from Jahalla's rival returning." Meg sounded like she truly believed in the so called demon's reason to give me such a gift.

"All right then," I whispered, turning the vial in my hands. As hesitant as I was, I still wanted to know what memories the potion would drag up. If it did not kill me, that is. I popped the cork top off, sniffing the brew. My nose scrunched at the harsh, rank odor of the liquid. I swallowed nervously before bringing the vial to my lips, tilting my head back, and downing the foul potion.

For a moment, I gagged and coughed, the taste probably worse than eating rotting flesh with spoiled milk. I considered it may have been a poison, if only for disgustingly bitter it was. Then the world around me seem to spin, the trees flying by with such speed I felt even more nauseous. I was still conscious when I fell to the ground, landing flat on my back and knocking the air from my lungs. As I struggled to draw in more air, I began to feel like I was falling asleep, the world slowly blurring and fading into nothing.

* * *

_It was dark outside, the stars and moon hidden behind clouds. The only light came from the burning houses and the lanterns and torches of the accursed monsters that had suddenly emerged from the forest. The screams of ReDead and people pierced the otherwise soundless night, causing her skin to crawl and tears to leak from her eyes. _

_ No matter how hard she tried to keep quiet, her pounding heart and shaking breathes seemed as loud as the pained screams of the other villagers. She was hiding on the edge of town amongst the snarled limbs of a tree. While she was out of sight, she knew she was not safe from the horrifying ghosts. She could not escape either. She did not know the forest and was much too young to travel it alone anyways. A stray monster could easily devour her in a few bites._

_Her parents were nowhere to be found. Her father had left the house to help the other villages when the Poes arrived. Her mother had distracted them when the ghosts ransacked the house. She was alone now. Alone with no idea what to do. She was a lost child in the middle of a massacre. _

_A sudden crash and nearby screech made her head jerk to the noise. She was just in time to catch sight of a massive black sword with red markings cleaving a person in two. Despite how hard she tried, she could not hold back a horrified shriek. _

_The tree lite up with blue fire, scaring the girl out from underneath. She froze when she saw the creature wielding the weapon. It towered over her, its body skeletal having a thin layer of graying skin stretched over top. The horns protruding from the sides of its head only made it more terrifying. Its glowing yellow eyes narrowed, its mouth showing a wicked smile rowed with sharp teeth. The monster's long gray robes flowed in the slight wind. _

_The girl stared at the monster, too overcome with fear to move. The creature stared back, seemingly analyzing the girl. Before she got the chance to flee, the monster dropped its sword. It flew forward, changing from a physical to an invulnerable state, and went straight into the girl, fusing itself with her body._

_ A Poe clothed in purple, holding a flame of the same color arrived next to the girl. _

_"What are you planning to do with _that_?" the Poe inquired with a hint of disgust. _

_"It has magic in its blood," the girl said, despite the words not being her own. "It may be useful to hide in for the time being, while I recover from the wounds Jahalla has inflicted upon me."_

_ "Do you not worry about losing your memories to it?" _

_ The girl scoffed. "To such a pathetic little human? Even years from now this human will have traces of my memory, my habits, and my abilities. I will need but a reminder to reawaken."_

_ "And I will be that reminder?" The purple Poe did not sound enthusiastic. _

_ "Of course, Meg. Or I will remember on my own, hunt you down, and make sure to completely obliterate you." The girl grinned. "In the most painful manner possible, of course," she added. _

_ Meg gave a slight tip of her head. "Your will shall be followed, Death Sword."_

* * *

_I lay in the dirt, my body tired and numb. My eyes are closed as I listen to them. _

_ "Is she all right?"_

_ "Of course not! Look how pale she has become."_

_ "And her nails, they are a strange shade now as well."_

_ "Is it a monster in disguise?"_

_ "Should we kill it before it wakes?"_

_ "But… what if she isn't a monster? Then we would have murdered a defenseless child."_

_` "True… but this is not how she looked before. It makes sense that it is a monster."_

_ "Are you sure about this? Maybe we should try to wake her before we jump to conclusions."_

_ The group grumbled in agreement. A few seconds later I felt a shoe prodding my side lightly. I must had made a noise because a few people gasped and stepped back. I forced myself to sit up and slowly opened my eyes. When I looked up at the group of villagers, they all stepped away, looking mortified. _

_ "Her eyes!" _

_ "Yellow like the Poes."_

_ "They have changed color! A sign of possession!" _

_ A man stepped forward, threatening to stab me with a sword. I screamed and covered my face. I heard another person shout, followed by the sound of people shuffling out of the way. _

_ "What do you think you are doing?" An older lady hissed, pulling the man with the sword by the collar. "That is a child!"_

_ "B-but," the man stammered. _

_ "Does she look like a threat to you?" The old lady pointed a boney finger at me. "No. She is only a frightened child who just lost her parents."_

_ "She has the eyes of those horrible monsters!"_

_ "Clearly it is a monster trying to trick us!"_

_ The old lady sighed and threw up her hands. She shoved the man out of her way, making her way to me. She crouched down and gently placed her hand on my shoulder. "My name is Syrup. Would you like to come to my home to clean up, to get something to eat, or rest, deary?"_

_I weakly nodded. I was confused as to what all of these unfamiliar people were talking about. I could only tell they were upset with me for whatever reason. Syrup seemed the only nice one, which is why I wanted to go with her, to get away from all of the angry people._

* * *

I held my head as I slowly sat up. The colored flames of the Sisters' touches moved closer. Once the world stopped swaying, I stood up and faced the Poes.

"What did you remember?" Meg asked curiously.

"I remember taking this body over and the day following."

"That is all?" Joelle cut in. "You've been out for hours and that is all you remember?"

Meg hissed at Joelle before saying, "With time more will return to you. The matter with Jahalla will likely cause you to remember more of the Death Sword. Your rage had been the cause of your appearance change; Death Sword will not allow for your defeat. Death Sword is intolerant of the weak and refuses to admit defeat. Until the time you remember all, you will have to remain hidden. Jahalla resides in the Forest Temple we guard. Our disobedience, if discovered, will lead to our final deaths. Death Sword, we have been your allies. We have fought beside you since the day you challenged Jahalla for leadership. Remember that when you confront Jahalla once more."

I nodded, not sure if she was meaning to address me or the creature I apparently was. I felt no different knowing that Death Sword and I were supposedly the same. I still felt like Eivie, the human that had a strange connection with the Poes. The answer I had thought would bring me peace had brought nothing to quell my fears, only more confusion.

I was a monster, but I felt human. I had the abilities of a monster, but the mentality of a human. What was I?

"Where will Jahalla be unable to find me?" I needed to think of the present, on living until a solution to Jahalla was reached.

"Far away from Faron." Meg looked to the sky, perhaps thinking. "You had been from the desert, retuning there may be an option."

"The Gerudo Desert?"

"Yes, the Death Sword had originated from the prison, if I remember correctly."

I was about to ask more, seeing as how chatty Meg now seemed, but was interrupted by a powerful gust of wind that blew dirt into my eyes and mouth. I was forced to close my eyes. The winds were raging, stirring up rocks, dirt, leaves, twigs, and whatever else rested on the forest floor. At some point I may have heard a tree crack as the wind tore the area apart.

The moment the wind calmed, something powerful wrapped around my stomach, latching onto me tightly. With what sounded like the flapping of wings, the whirling gusts returned. My feet left the ground as whatever had me rose up. I looked down, seeing a large black claw clutching onto to me. I tried to pry it off, finding it much too powerful. The creature tightened its grip, perhaps sensing that I planned on trying to escape. With the crushing pressure, I had to fight to breath; there was no possibility that I could try using a spell.

The ground seemed hundreds of feet below me, and the creature was bringing me even higher. Between the quick change in elevation and tight grip of the monster, I began to slip into unconsciousness. My eyes fell closed, but, before the world went completely dark, the creature landed. Then I felt as if I was being carried in someone's arms.

* * *

**A/N- I hope you all enjoyed this chapter because I have been waiting to get to this part for ages! Eivie is the Death Sword seen in Twilight Princess, or, I guess, possessed by it. I feel like I could have explained that better, so if anyone has questions feel free to ask. I sort of thought of the idea because Wind Waker Poes could reverse the controls for a short while when they possessed Link. I thought maybe they would leave before they got stuck forever. I also mentioned the ReDead and Gibdo because they are also undead creatures, so why could they not be dead bodies possessed by Poes? The first flashback was the human Death Sword found and the second is the following day and marks the start of Eivie's memories. I feel like this may be confusing as well… Because it is such a small detail, I will share that the Death Sword has purple nails which is why Eivie does as well. The jinx spell was my own addition and is based off Bubbles, being invisible and invulnerable is actually used by the Death Sword in-game. And just because Eivie knows she was once the Death Sword does not mean stuff will be all fine and dandy for now on, far from it actually. Thank you so much for reading, reviewing, following, and favoriting! It means a lot to me. I hope you all stick around for the craziness. **

**Miss Ominous- I don't think I've thanked you for saying "great chapter" nearly every chapter. I really like that, makes me feel successful. So, yeah, thanks! And spring break, I wish mine would have been about now instead of earlier, like a month ago. My brain decided to stay on vacation and being productive is a struggle. I hope you're having a good break, though! Whenever you review is fine, seriously, it's not like there's a due date on them. I am just happy you do take the time to review! So thank you for being here for so long and continuing to read and review! **

**Awkward Passerby- I don't think it's weird to read the other responses. I usually read authors responses to reviews too because the authors will answer questions, explain something, or say something funny. You also get to know the author better too. And I left you with another cliffhanger. I have become **_**that **_**writer, and I sort of want to apologize, but, at the same time, I know it is a good way to keep people's attention. Hope it doesn't drive you too insane! Thanks for sticking around for so long and continuing to read and review! **

**-AwkwardBlackCat **


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